Serene Days
by TAP123
Summary: After Kyousuke Kousaka aced his exams, he returns to home sweet home much to the liking of his little sister Kirino Kousaka. With both of the siblings soon having to deal with closing doors on old times and welcoming new chapters to their tale. How will the duo proceed through life with budding romance and hard decisions ever-present in their near future? A continuation of S2 EP13.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of OreImo's features such as the characters, stories, rights, etc. as they are the property of their respective owners.

**Author's Note (AN): **Serene Days takes place immediately after episode 13 of OreImo's second season. _Italics_ refer to (inside) thought dialogue. Names in bold such as "**Kirino:" **followed by text signifies that the writing from then on is from the name's perspective (in this case Kirino's POV). I hope you enjoy the first chapter!

**Serene Days | Chapter 1: Why Do You Make Me Feel This Way?**

by: TAP123

* * *

**Kyousuke:**

A wave of nostalgia brushed over me as I uttered the same old words I had always relied on to ensure my little sister that I was there for her. The words themselves weren't really special, and when I said them it didn't mean much to me other than what was intended. It wasn't the case for Kirino though, it was evident that the phrase meant so much to her. Her ocean-blue eyes sparkled as if I were at the beach watching the real deal.

She sat upright on the couch and flashed me a cheery smile. It was very unfamiliar, and I'm sure my mouth was still open in surprise. I didn't detest it though, in fact, she should smile like this more often instead of frowning which in truth over the past weeks has happened.

Honestly, I'm shocked and not shocked at the same time. I was usually surprised by such occurrences as I got used to getting insulted by my sister left and right before the first-ever life counseling session. Following the initial shock, I'd feel all normal again, as since then, me and Kirino have gone through and done a lot of stuff together. I hope it wouldn't be out of line for me to think that she has mellowed up a bit towards me. It'll take a little longer to get completely used to it, but it was certainly welcome.

Kirino then suddenly got up and started walking back up to her room with pace. She took a suggestive glance at me before disappearing into the hall and up the stairs, leaving the door open behind her. I then walked up the stairs myself before taking a quick pit stop at my room to hang my coat before advancing and halting right in front of Kirino's door.

Usually, this location in the house is where I contemplate the impending doom that could occur on the other side. Many hesitations have occurred at this spot, caused by the wild events that have happened in that room. Before, I'd be much more hesitant to enter her domain, thinking that no matter what I did I'd exit a battered man. Now though, I'm much more calm, knowing now that reason is within my sister after all. Something bad might happen but that's just how the world works so I'm sure it'll be fine in the end. With that deduction, I knocked on her door.

The door opened softly and slowly, and Kirino peaked only her cute, little head out of the small gap. She took a good look at me like a mouse peeking out of a hole before blushing and scurrying back to her chair inside. _What the heck was that? So cute_. After that odd ordeal, I entered her premises and sat on the carpet as usual. I'd usually stand first to determine how long I'd be there for, and what course of action would be most appropriate if she hadn't given me an order already, but I was feeling rather lazy today so I just merely sat.

Kirino turned to face me on her chair and so I turned to match. The direct eye contact seemed a bit too much for her though, as she quickly looked away with a rosy hue imprinted on her face again.

"Well? What do you need my help for Kirino?". I smiled in a relaxed manner to her, maintaining a rather calm atmosphere. Kirino looked back at me for a second then quickly changed to staring at the window again, evidently still blushing.

"I-i've been meaning to ask you something" she replied, still gazing outside the window. It seemed that whatever she was about to ask embarrassed her to some extent. I quickly took the time to examine her long, flowing hair while waiting for her to muster up her courage. The sunlight peering in the room through the window emphasized her beauty, her light brown hair almost glistening. It was a sight to behold as, despite her embarrassment, she was still able to look so pretty. _No wonder she's a model_.

"W-well, you see…" Kirino spoke up, "A… uh… A-a". It was a rare sight to see Kirino stuttering like this, it made me all the more intrigued to find out what delicate topic has got her tongue like this.

After trying to mutter and whisper out words to no success, Kirino finally took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "A-a new member is joining the group!". She shouted the words directly to me with significant force and volume. After huffing for a bit Kirino finally looked at me.

"T-there's a new member with the username: whiterabbit25 who Saori was chatting with recently on her forum wall, it appears that they'll be coming to our next meet tomorrow". I perked up with interest. _A new member huh? Now that I think about it, it's been just me, Kirino, Kuroneko, and Saori since that initial first meeting ages ago_.

My attention was recalled as Kirino began speaking again, still in a somewhat embarrassed tone, "Y-you see, I haven't talked to anyone new about eroge and stuff aside from the group so I'm a bit nervous, therefore… can you come with me tomorrow?". Kirino was shifting her shoulders up and down meekly. It was adorable, to be frank.

Usually, about now I'd sigh and be saying stuff like "what if I had plans" or "do you really need me for that?". I was rather listless sometimes, and it probably came off as inconsiderate as usually following that were some usual insults from Kirino. This time around though, I haven't seen Kuroneko and Saori in a while since the welcome party when I moved into that apartment to study. I'm sure they were keeping tracks on me during that time though thanks to Kuroneko's little sister: Hinata.

"Sure, I'll go, I haven't seen those two in a while anyway". With my reply, Kirino beamed up from her embarrassed state to a cheerful one. "As for the new member, don't be nervous, I remember you straight up argued with Kuroneko the first time you met her, so there's no need to be worried, just be yourself." After saying that, I smiled at her and stood up, preparing to leave the room.

As I got outside, I turned back to see Kirino present a large grin before slamming the door in my face. I stared back at where she was standing with utter bafflement. I decided to sigh it off, it'd hurt my brain thinking about it. I entered my room and laid on my bed, processing what had just happened. _It was a nice grin._

* * *

**Kirino: **

After I had slammed the door on my big brother, I ran and jumped onto my bed, burying my face into my pillow. I continued to stuff my face into the soft cotton, regretting not asking my brother what I truly wanted to know. I guess I was too scared, not wanting to know the true extent of my brother's answer. Coincidentally, I had another question to ask, and so went with that one to cover up my cowardice.

I quickly flipped and laid down on my back breathing heavily. I put my left forearm on my forehead and stared up at the white ceiling above. _Since when did I start to care so much about what my brother says_? Even as recently when he agreed to go tomorrow, I was practically jumping for joy. _When? When did his simple re__pli__es start to make me feel this__ strongly_?

It was because of this recent change in my reactions to my brother that I reacted so strongly when Ayase called me. It was about an hour and a half ago when I was still home alone. I was so relaxed, lounging around watching Meruru on the TV undisturbed. It was all pure bliss and fangirl screeching until my phone rang.

I was surprised to hear Ayase speaking with such a troubled voice. At first, I thought someone had hurt her but then she uttered the words that shattered my heart. It felt like multiple glass shards rained down on me, cutting me up. But it wasn't scary because of the pain, it was scary because I didn't know why I felt so pained.

"Kirino, I...I confessed to your brother". Those words I heard from her mouth were very unexpected. At first, I was just in plain shock, then, as I realized what that had truly meant and that I didn't know that Ayase felt this way towards my brother, I felt sick. I remember immediately hanging up while Ayase was asking to see if I was still there. I had flung my phone onto the couch and sat head in my hands. The lovely Meruru show I was watching had become an annoying sound at the time and it was closed.

I felt horrible at the time, twisting and turning on the couch. I was feeling terrible because I didn't know why I did such a thing. _Why did I hang up on Ayase_? _Why did I find Meruru a nuisance? _These thoughts polluted my mind until I heard the front door open.

I quickly pretended to grab a model magazine of the table and laid down on the couch reading it. I quickly glanced over to see that it was, in fact, my brother who came in. It was at that second I really wanted to leap into his chest and embrace him, so that all those negative thoughts would go away.

Ultimately, I had decided to just shrug my desires off and ask him for the same old life counseling, hoping he can solve my issue one way or another. I didn't even have to mutter anything more for things to get better because as soon as he said his magic words, it was like an arrow of happiness that had pierced my heart.

It reminded me of the Kyousuke of old. The enthusiastic big brother who I couldn't keep up with, the big brother who I admired from behind. Thinking about that made me smile uncontrollably, and the fact that I didn't realize I was showing so much happiness troubled me.

_Why_? _Why do you make me so happy now_? After pondering this, I got up and left my room, leaving my pillows cluttered across my bed. I opened the door to my brother's room quietly. I didn't have enough patience to knock, I needed answers.

I scanned his room and saw him all curled up on his bed, fast asleep. His gentle snoring and the soft roar of the air conditioning created a peaceful ambiance in his room. _An afternoon nap? Perfect timing!_

I went closer to the bed to further inspect my brother. He looked very tranquil and defenseless, it was a precious sight to behold. As I leaned closer, a sudden movement of his body almost made my heart spill out into my hands. He had shifted to lay down on his back, his arms and legs spread out in different directions.

I giggled at his new position. _He looks like an idiot. _If only he was drooling. It would then complete the typical shounen sleeping posture. As I examined his new pose, I couldn't help but notice his collared shirt. It was all wrinkled. Usually, he'd probably take it off and change into more comfortable clothes before taking a nap. But now that he was sleeping in it, I noticed something that made my heart flutter.

His first few buttons were undone, slightly exposing his chest. The wrinkles also defined his torso more evidently. After I noticed this important information, I leaned down to take a closer look, making sure my hair didn't touch him and potentially wake him up. _W-wow, he's more defined than I thought_. My curiosity piqued. I did not think my brother looked this… fit underneath.

It appears that even though he ceased his track and field activities ages ago, he might have still exercised somewhat. It was at that moment my heart started to pound immensely. Imagining him working out for some reason made my blood pump frantically. My gaze was stuck on his chest, I couldn't break it free!

I started breaking out a sweat. This was very uncalled for. I didn't think I'd be so… mesmerized by his figure. _Damn body, why are you acting up like this? It's just his chest! Just this idiot's chest!_ I ended up staring directly down at him while having internal conflicts in my mind.

Shaking, I lifted my arm and moved it near his torso. _What are you doing Kirino? Are you really g-going to touch it? _I was panting pretty hard, surprisingly, my frequent gasps for air weren't waking him up. At this point, my hand was right above his chest, and I couldn't take it anymore.

I lowered my hand down and came in contact with his rising chest. It was slightly soft, but firm at the same time, rising up and down in an orderly and calm manner. I was the opposite of that, I was shivering like a madman, still reacting dramatically to the mere fact that I touched his body.

I was breathing heavily as I spread the palm of my hand on his pectoral muscle. I felt his rather toned physique, and I couldn't stop quivering because of it. I never knew my brother was this well built, and that unfamiliarity made me feel weird. Very, very weird.

I reached my existing hand into my blouse and touched my own chest, wet and sticky from the sweat. For a while, I kneeled on the floor beside his bed still touching his chest and my own. I tried to calm down and breathe in unison with my brother as we remained connected.

I leaned forward massively, with our chests in short proximity to each other. I made sure that no other part of my body was touching him as if he woke up, I'd have a lot of explaining to do as I was still shivering and sweating quite a bit. I brought my lips near his ear and softly whispered into it.

"Oh aniki… why do you make me feel like this? Why do you make me feel so… excited?"

* * *

**AN:** I just recently picked up the OreImo series last month and after watching it, I sensed the immense potential it had as I breezed through each episode. Like many others, I enjoyed the ride and was disappointed by the ending, but more importantly, I just simply wanted more of this world, more OreImo in my life. I was inspired by many fanfictions I have read on this site, and since I already had a pre-existing love for writing, it was a matter of time before I started my own fanfiction.

Writing the first chapter has been a blast so far for me, and I can't wait to start writing the next chapters. I aim to make this project a weekly one, however, I am terrible with deadlines, therefore I will attempt to put out new chapters within a week or two of each other. I hope you, the readers, have as much fun reading Serene Days as I have as much fun writing it. I'm sure that with your feedback and reviews, I can try to make this an experience that you and I will both enjoy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of OreImo's features such as the characters, stories, rights, etc. as they are the property of their respective owners.

**Serene Days | Chapter 2: The Newcomer**

* * *

**Kirino: **

The standard katsu don is one of my favorite dishes. Not only does the crispy exterior and the tender interior of the pork merge well, but it creates great harmony with the rice and soft omelet layer above it. My mother doesn't make it often, but if she did, it would signal a great meal.

This time around though, I found that my eating experience was rather mediocre. The taste of the pork, rice, and egg all blended into one generic taste rather than stand out individually. It must have been quite obvious that the way I was slowly eating my dinner wasn't usual.

"Kirino dear, are you alright? You usually are more enthusiastic when I make katsu don". My mother put cupped her hand on her chin while she gave me a quizzical look. My brother also took a perceptive glance at me as well to which I replied with hastily looking away. I look down at the floor, barely able to contain the embarrassment and intensity I had felt during my earlier 'activity' in my brother's room.

I still felt a pulsation on my chest and hand, while some lingering sweat remained on my forehead, it must've looked like I had a fever or went out for a tiring run. Perhaps that was what prevented me from enjoying the full katsu don experience, and I couldn't help it, what I've done back then was… unordinary.

"I'm fine" I squeaked out. I looked back up at my mother to confirm my statement and shoved another spoonful into my mouth.

After what seemed like hours, I finished a sufficient percentage of my meal and stumbled back up the stairs. After closing my door behind me I crouched right at the entrance of my room and leaned back against my door. _Snap out of it Kirino! It's just… it's just…_ I suddenly found my hand rising steadily. It neared my chest, attempting to reenact the aforementioned scene. After noticing the trajectory, I quickly swung my hand back to my side. _This isn't like me_.

I hurriedly get up and plop myself on my desk chair. With swift hand motions, I quickly opened up my computer and into my folder of eroges. _Alright! '__Shining Summer Sisters', help me out in this predicament! _Before long, I had completely immersed myself in the world of twin sisters playing gleefully in a field of sunflowers.

The game did well in subduing my thoughts from the 'event' in the room next to mine, but I could tell that it didn't disappear. Some sort of mellow feeling still remained deep in my chest. The feeling was very hard to describe. There has never been a sensation so unknown to me before, and it annoyed and, for some reason, embarrassed the crap out of me.

Suddenly, I jolted up in my chair as I saw my door opening in the corner of my eye. It was my brother! Before he could fully open the door, I leaped across the room and shut it using my back and hands.

"Hey! What's the deal Kirino?" My brother's slightly irritated question rang out from the other side of the wooden door. It was reasonable to be a bit angry after having a door slammed shut on you, especially if it happened twice in the same day, however, I couldn't afford to let him see the state I was in.

"Don't enter without my permission baka!". I was surprised after shouting that. My usual aggressiveness was unusually lacking. With no doubts, I normally bark at my brother as if he were a mere pet, but today my ability to do that has been drained out of me.

"I knocked several times! You looked a bit sick during dinner so I was wondering if you were alright". There it was again, the caring and compassionate 'onii-chan'. Always looking after me, and as thanks, got a serving of door. I always seem to take my brother for granted. I was unforgiving and relentless when he did something stupid and unappreciative when he did something like this.

Usually, I'd just 'humph' it off and return to whatever I was doing, but today, an unfamiliar power within me ordered me to apologize. As if my body acted without my consent, I opened the door, revealing my heavily blushed face.

My brother was as surprised as I was as he stood back a bit, taking in the uncommon sight of his sister. "S-sorry for slamming the door on you like that". It was a weak and submissive stammer, highly unbefitting of my character.

Due to the unexpected scenario, an awkward silence broke out. I was just starting at my feet coming in contact with each other while my brother looked away, scratching the back of his head. After several seconds, I decided to yell out to break the discomfort. "Don't forget about tomorrow ok?".

And with that, I closed my door, more softly this time.

* * *

**Kyousuke: **

"A ~ KI ~ HA ~ BARA!". It was my sister's usual habit as she proclaimed her arrival. It reminded me of anime as there would always be certain scenarios that prompted a catchphrase from a character. If Kirino were to be in an anime, this would be that exact scenario and catchphrase.

As I got lost in thoughts of my daily life being animated, I felt a hard nudge on my shoulder as my sister ran past. "Hurry up you slowpoke!". I sighed and followed suit. We always left the house early as taught to us by our parents, thus there was no real pressure. It was just a matter of personality since Kirino never liked being one of the last people to turn up.

I smiled a bit though after seeing that she had returned back to her usual self. Her shy demeanor yesterday was an unusual sight to behold. Not that it was bad of course, but rather, I couldn't really cope with the change so suddenly.

As we reached our destination, Kirino emphatically blasted open the doors, prompting the ring of a chime. There, seated at our usual table was Kuroneko. She has consistently always arrived first during our meetings, of course in her standard frilled, black goth outfit, complementing her dark vibe as usual.

"Ara ara, a loud and boisterous entrance as usual". Kuroneko greeted Kirino with a taunting glare much to the latter's chagrin. It was unlike the simple "hello" she gave to me.

"Why you! Someone who has such poor taste doesn't get to judge how I walk into a café". Kirino retaliated by gesturing a fist in the air. I'm sure that steam would be rising out of her ears by now if it was a real reaction to anger. _The first thing these two do when they see each other is fight… of course, what else did I expect?_

After finally getting both of the ladies to sit down and calm themselves, our table received a familiar greeting from the direction of the café's entrance. It was Saori, in her usual otaku attire consisting of a marsh green and yellow striped shirt, tucked into jeans and accompanied the trademark swirly glasses.

In tow though, was a rather dainty male, significantly shorter than the accompanying Saori. He had short curly hair, it's blondness emphasized by the restaurant's lights above us. His diamond blue eyes shined in conjunction with his similarly blue, collared shirt underneath his formal-looking waistcoat. Everything about this person screamed 'foreigner'.

After rounds of intriguing stares from me, Kirino, and Kuroneko, the last two members of today's meet sat themselves down. I continued to look over at the new boy who was nervously fiddling with his fingers, akin to how Kirino acted on her very first meeting.

"Alright, everyone! This here is whiterabbit25! I brought him to our close circle instead of the full one since he's a bit shy. Please be nice to our newest member alright?" Saori turned her head to look at him, as some sort of cue for a self-introduction.

"Oh, um…, my real name is Kojima Naoki, uh… just Naoki is fine". Naoki's dialogue was the pure epitome of meekness. Never have I seen a fellow boy before that has emanated such mildness. "Hmm, you look about my age Naoki-kun, what school level are you in?" I glanced over in Kuroneko's direction as she posed the question to the newcomer. "Umm… I'm in my last year of middle school".

With that reserved reply, Kirino perked up. It seems as she has finally found someone her age with similar interests, albeit being a member of the opposite gender. _Good for her_. "Same here! What middle school do you go to?". The two middle schoolers then struck up a conversation. The more talkative Kirino dominated the talk as Naoki couldn't help but shyly answer her cluster of questions.

Then suddenly, something Naoki said piqued my interest. "Well, after graduating from middle school, I plan on going to Chiba Benten High school." I noticed that Kirino suddenly perked up as well as if I remember correctly, she planned to enroll in the same school as me.

I smiled warmly after learning about the important news. I wasn't sure if Kanako or Ayase would join the same school as Kirino after graduating middle school, but it's nice to know that Kirino already has a friend going into high school, especially one with the same otaku interests.

After Kirino had talked about how they would be going into the same school and my intervention to talk about the school from a third-year's perspective, Saori suddenly grabbed a spoon and hit her glass with it to gain our attention.

"This isn't a meet for school people! It's a meet to talk about anime! Manga! Eroge! Anything otaku should dominate the discussion please!". With a smirk, she turned to Naoki and posed another question. "So Naoki, you may have introduced yourself, but you haven't introduced why exactly you're here in this ring of otaku". _Ring of otaku huh? Sounds sketchy. Is that really what I'm referred to as part of this unit?_

"Ah um, I actually…". Before finishing his sentence, Naoki was rudely interrupted by my little sister. "Do you like Meruru? Say 'yes' so I can prove this edgy, goth loli that her taste is crap!". In response to Kirino's statement, Kuroneko turned around, seemingly angered but at the same time keeping it cool. "I'm sure Naoki-kun doesn't indulge in a show meant for toddlers, instead, I'm certain he prefers Maschera, a show for true adults"

After both ladies clashed at each other, they turned their attention to the resigned Naoki, glaring at him like they were pitching rival products that they immediately needed to sell. "Umm… I actually don't like either of those." With that soft reply, Kirino and Kuroneko froze. _Yet another person who fails to comprehend their weird tastes I see._

"I actually prefer reading manga than watching anime, and as for the genre, I'm a big fan of romcoms! Have you ever heard of Little Lady of the Shrine?". Naoki was uncharacteristically sparkling as he talked about his favorite manga and genre, explaining any nook and cranny about romcoms and why they're so great.

I think that it's good that he's growing into the conversation more and more. He was so reserved and meek before, but now he's the center of attention, presenting away about his favorite books. Kirino and Kuroneko were also dumbfounded by his sudden burst of energy, but also because of the wasted chance that the newcomer could relate to their own favorites.

After explaining why character development is the most crucial aspect of romcom mangas, Naoki realized that he'd been talking for a straight 20 minutes. Realizing this, he sat back down on his chair softly and regained his meek demeanor. "Sorry, I-i talked too much again".

"No, no, no, that is not a problem at all!". Saori grabbed the blond's shoulders and grinned. "Outbursts, presentations, analyses, any form of conversation related to anime, manga or anything of the sort is welcome! So don't feel shy, you did well for your first offline meet!". I nodded in agreement. Despite not being an avid reader myself, it was interesting to hear about his passion.

After getting in some mouthfuls of food and sips of drinks, we decided to call an end to our offline meet and head out. Naoki retained his quiet self throughout the rest of the meet and left with Saori. Despite being shy as heck, it was easy to tell he enjoyed his time with an evident smile imprinted on his face as he left.

As for Kirino, she seemed very pleased as she sat on the train seats smiling away. "Had a good time?". I looked down at her, intending to take her attention off her phone for a few seconds which she noticed and replied. "Yup!". It was the most sincere 'yup' I had ever heard, brimming with cheerful joy. _Damn! Is this was they call... moe? _

After returning back to the house, I plopped down on my bed after changing into my 'home clothes'. I was deep in thought, something that I hadn't noticed before at the meet suddenly struck me like a bolt of lightning. _Wait a second! If these middle schoolers are thinking of what high school they're gonna attend, I'm graduating very soon myself, aren't I? _

The realization was shocking like static electricity. I was fully aware that the exams I took earlier were for Chiba university, but I didn't anticipate that the end of my school life would end so imminently. I quickly scrambled out of bed to check my calendar. _March 11, Sunday huh? Let's see, the graduation ceremony is...in five days!? Oh crap, I'm not mentally ready at all!_

I forced open my door and formula 1'd down the stairs and crashed into the living room with haste. Kirino was there on the couch watching Meruru, but after my grand entrance, she had to pause the show and glare at me. _Wow, what's with the cold stare? She's looking at me as if I were an insect!_

"What are you doing, panting like that. Have you finally lost your marbles?". Still sweating and looking at the ground, I stood up straight and mustered a shout. "I-i I'm graduating soon! Like, very soon!". Kirino retained her disgusted look at me for a few seconds before unpausing Meruru. "Yeah… I know, me too." I continued to look at her in disbelief. Despite the step from high school to university being a bigger deal than middle school to high school, I remember I was more excited when I was in her current situation. _Must be a sign of the times._

* * *

**Kirino: **

Instead of watching my dear Meruru on the big screen, I instead decided to allocate my time to watch my brother attempting to waltz his way out of the living room like nothing had happened. _Man, he must be flabbergasted huh? Seems like going to university is a big deal, not that I'd have to worry about it soon though_.

In truth, I had been anticipating my brother's departure for a while. There was a strong possibility that he'd leave this household to go closer to university or something and that major changes would happen in his life. I was well aware of that change, and of course my own change as I enter high school.

It wasn't like I didn't really care, it's just that the thing about Ayase still concerns me and still occupies a great portion of my mind. I still don't know why I'm feeling this way, and despite me being myself at the meet and drowning myself in Meruru heaven, the feeling still lingers like the irritation of a mosquito bite.

_Ahhhh, why did I give him the death glare? I didn't mean it I swear, it was just a short-tempered reaction to having to pause Meruru! _I put Meruru on pause for the second time today and recollected my thoughts. _It's not healthy to keep the thing about Ayase stored up forever, I have to let it go sooner or later! But why? Why is it so hard to ask him about it?_

I stared at the spot where my brother was standing. The spot where he was having a frantic 'student-life crisis'. _I need to consult him before he graduates. He'll probably be very busy after that, so I gotta do it now, I gotta do it… tonight! _

After agreeing with my inner voice to consult him about Ayase's confession tonight, I continued to drown myself in Meruru to suppress the nagging worry. Luckily, Meruru is damn cute so it wasn't an issue at all as I forced visualizations of many Meruru fanfiction in my mind to drive out the foreign feeling.

This incredibly hard but rewarding technique seemed to work for me, and I utilized it throughout the rest of the day. I used it throughout dinner, my bath, and brushing my teeth. No one said anything about it either, but it probably looked like I was either concentrating really hard or daydreaming like a fool. Whatever image I had displayed to the outside world, it prompted a quick glare from my dad before he engrossed himself back into his newspaper.

I spent the rest of the night away on my computer, waiting until the prime time for life counseling. I chatted with Naoki-kun more on my computer as he was online at the time. His personality is very different online. In real life he's so meek and composed but online he's ferocious in getting me to read his all-time famous mangas, and of course, with the same passion, I try to get him to play my favorite eroges. _Wait a second, isn't convincing a boy to play the same eroge I play kinda __bizarre? Ah, it doesn't matter! He needs to learn what true greatness is like!_

Wasting myself away in the online world of forums and eroge had worked, as before I knew it, my eyes were wrinkly and sore and my digital clock displayed '1 am'. _Alright! No backing out Kirino! _I brushed my eyes with my forearm before quietly exiting my room and entering my brother's.

The same ambiance was present. The sound of the air conditioning and his light snoring, I knew it all too well. The scene was on replay in my mind numerous times after the original occurrence, and it was creepy how similar the current situation is in comparison.

I quickly sneak up to the side of my brother's bed to see him in a similar position to that time. Laying on his back with his limbs stretched. His torso was somewhat exposed like last time. Before I realized it, my heart was beating once again, thumping as loudly as a drummer thumps his drums during a rock concert.

I started to feel the trickling of beads of sweat flowing down the side of my forehead. _This scenario is too similar! What the hell? Get it together Kirino! _Resisting the urge to take a quick look at his chest, I softly climbed onto his bed and placed my knees on the left and right of his body.

I gently lowered my rear on his stomach and gazed at his sleeping face. _How uncouth, there was a string of drool emerging from his mouth_. Suddenly, an urge popped up within me, and with an evil smile, I thought: _I've got to clean that up don't I? Why don't I get that off for you...aniki? _

With that thought, I gave my brother a satisfying slap on the cheek, sending the strand of saliva flying away. I watched as a wave of surprise crashed into the beach that was my brother's consciousness. His eyes opened in horror as he saw me seated comfortably on him. After the expression of shock, a look of familiarity was now reflected in his eyes. Despite not even speaking a single word, I could tell in the look of my brother's face that he already knew what was happening. For old times' sake though, I said it anyways.

"Life counseling! Now!". My brother didn't even move, flinch, or say anything. He simply looked up to me in response and sighed, acknowledging the start of yet another life counseling session, and possibly, one of the last.

* * *

**AN: **Recently I've been finding out that there are some weeks where I have more time than normal. I usually work on writing these chapters on weekdays only and that if I ever had the extra time, there might be a possibility that I could finish two chapters in a single week. I can't guarantee that happening though, but as for my original planned schedule, the weekly releases seem pretty feasible as of now. I hope you continue to enjoy reading Serene Days and come up with feedback for me to make it better! Stay tuned for Chapter 3 as it may or may not come out earlier than expected.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of OreImo's features such as the characters, stories, rights, etc. as they are the property of their respective owners.

**Serene Days | Chapter 3: Is This Love? **

* * *

**Kyousuke: **

As I lazily opened my eyes following the slap, I was greeted to the sight of Kirino looking down at me. Her marine eyes sparkled with some sort of fluttering determination, something I've only seen glimpses of when I used to go watch her track meets.

I felt the sides of her legs squeezing against my body while the weight of her body was constantly pressing against my stomach. Despite this being a frequent occurrence before each life counseling session, it was still quite awkward and uncomfortable. It's not like I was being constricted by a snake or anything but… she's still kinda heavy.

"Uh… Kirino? Do you think you can get off me now?". I shot her a quizzical look before she suddenly realized what I said. She quickly broke her focused gaze on me by looking the other way. She softly got off me and leaned on the wall next to my door.

"You don't have to go that far… you can just sit on my chair." I watched as she meekly nodded in response and walked across my room to sit in my chair in silence, still avoiding eye-contact. _What the hell happened to the determination? She's gone full Naoki now…_

"Say…you're the one that wanted life counseling, so what point is there if we're just going to sit here in my room and say nothing?" I directed my gaze at Kirino, making my intentions clear that I wanted her to talk. Instead of looking back at me though, she changed her gaze to my desk as a result of my focused stare.

My desk had nothing much on it. Just books, papers, utilities, and the computer I borrowed from her._ Why is she looking at it so intensively? _Before I could ask her, she placed her elbow on the table and rested her head on the hand of the same arm. She then turned to look intensively at me with a side glare, showing her blush. Despite the embarrassment she seemed to be feeling though, it looks like avoiding eye-contact with me allowed her to regain her determination.

"Back when you were living at that flat for your studies… did Ayase say anything weird to you?". Kirino's gaze remained fixed at me as she asked her question. It was concentrated to the point that it felt like a dart flew past my head when she asked, almost grazing me. _Ayase huh? What about Ayase has her this deter… wait a second. _

As I tried to brainstorm reasons why she'd be concerned about what Ayase talked to me about, I suddenly remembered the ordeal that occurred right as I was about to leave my flat for good. _Of course… the confession, __but how did she know it happened?_

I didn't answer instantly as I tried on my best, wholehearted thinking impression while looking down so that Kirino didn't suspect I knew something concrete. My facade didn't seem to work though because as soon as I looked up she was pouting with her arms crossed.

"You… you do know you're the worst at deceiving people right?". I'm shocked. I know I'm not the best actor but I seriously thought I could delay the situation for longer than mere seconds. Defeated, I scratched the back of my head and sighed as I fixed my gaze to the floor again. Now it was my turn to avoid eye-contact.

"What did she tell you? Answer me!". Kirino suddenly moved closer and leaned her face near mine. Her eyes now reflected a little annoyance as a result of me trying to delay my answer by looking elsewhere. After directing my gaze to random areas in my room, I tried to leer right back at her in hopes of getting her embarrassed again, but instead, I was met with a stare burning right into my soul.

"Stop that". I grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away from me gently. She was a bit surprised by the sudden contact, but her frown and stare remained intact, still signaling that she needed an answer from me immediately. "Fine, fine… I'll talk".

After scrubbing my eyes with my forearm, I began to tell her about how Ayase confessed her romantic feelings to me and that I turned her down. I did leave out some crucial details though. If she found out I got kissed on the cheek I might not leave my room alive.

As I finished my paraphrased story, Kirino leaned back on my chair, playing around with its mobility as she moved and rotated it across my floor. After playing with my chair for half a minute she turned back to me, still blushing. _Why is she embarrassed? It should be me. I'm the one talking about getting confessed to here…_

"Why did you turn her down?". It was a very quiet question posed by my little sister, who still displayed traces of frowning and annoyance. The question was a hard one to answer, not that I didn't know the answer, but that saying it would be difficult and have major consequences.

_I wonder how she'd react if out of the blue I answer saying 'because I like you'. How would she react? Her blood-related brother, turning down her best friend, a beautiful model, for his own little sister? _I shook my head of these thoughts, they were only weighing down on my decision making.

"It's not like I didn't see her in that way… it's just that, I like someone else." I answered her question honestly. It wasn't the full story but it was the truth. I continued to look down at my feet, not daring to look back up due to my embarrassment. _Boy, I must be blushing as much as she is aren't I? _

After starting at the floor in silence for a few minutes, I grew a bit impatient to see what Kirino was doing instead of replying to my answer. I looked up to see Kirino crouched up like a ball in my seat. Her knees were pressed tightly to her chest as he rested her head on her kneecaps. She was surprised by my sudden eye-contact and as a result, she rotated the chair in the opposite direction.

"Who?". Like her previous question, this query was barely audible as well. This one though, I couldn't make out. Intrigued by her returning meekness I stood up and put my hand on the top of the chair, my fingers stretching out to touch her shoulders.

"What did you ask?". I put my other hand on her shoulders as well, trying to prompt the question out of my sister. She wasn't budging though, so I moved my hands off her shoulders and readjusted them into a prime poking position near her lower sides.

I swung my hands closer and poked her with both index fingers simultaneously, prompting Kirino to jolt up in surprise and let out a small cry. I quickly surveyed the area near my door out of instinct to check if anyone had heard that. Thankfully, I didn't hear or see anything at all from that direction so I turned my head down to look at Kirino frowning back at me.

"What was that for baka?". She lifted her head up for a headbutt attempt but I evaded and grabbed the sides of her head. Using my four fingers to hold her head in place, I used my free thumbs to press against the side of her head in a circular motion, akin to the head messages you'd get at salons except I did mine a bit harder.

"Are you going to tell me now? What did you ask Kirino?". I playfully continued to mess around with her head while smiling wickedly as she softly scrambled around in my seat, trying to break the massage. After having enough, Kirino stopped squirming and dug her nails into my hands. "I said who? Who is it that you like? Baka!"

I let her go after hearing her question loud and clear. _Oh dear, t__he one question I didn't want to answer. _She rotated my chair to face me again, still blushing and pouting from the previous tickling. Despite mellowing her down a bit, she still seemed as steadfast as ever, intent on receiving an answer from me.

"Why do you want to know though?". I adjusted the neck of my shirt as an accompanying act to my question. That was the one thing that I did not want to answer just yet. I'm fully aware of my feelings for Kirino, as meddled and risky as they may be.

Over the period we reconciled, I found myself more and more involved in her life. Of course, there was the time I spent as Kuroneko's boyfriend but, after practically being with her so much more frequently afterward, I started to notice the way I looked at her, the way I thought about her, the way I spoke to her, they were all changing.

At first, I was confused and conflicted, denying these thoughts in my head, refusing to accept what they really were, but staying apart from her for around a month made me realize how much I missed her presence despite Ayase's visits. How much she meant to me could no longer be suppressed. I wanted to secure the most ideal scenario where I would eventually reveal these changing feelings… but now isn't that time.

"Don't answer my question with a question! Just tell me! Why did you turn Ayase down?". Kirino raised her voice to show her displeasure in my reluctance to give a satisfactory answer. I was a bit surprised as well by her growing annoyance.

Fearing that her voice may be too loud, I whispered to tell her to calm down so that our parents don't wake up and suspect anything, but she was too intent on finding out my answer. "I don't care! Just tell me!"

Kirino tried to grab the neckline of my shirt to intimidate me into answering but I grabbed her arms by the wrist. "Kirino! Calm down!". I tried to wrestle her arms off me but she didn't back down, fully intent on squeezing the truth out of me, literally. After a bit of wrestling, we instantly stopped our bickering due to a large crash downstairs.

"Kirino, be quiet and stay here, I'll go check it out, as I go downstairs go back to your room quickly! We can chat this out later." I attempted to sound strict in my whisper so that Kirino would obey, and she did as she tried to calm down her frustration.

I slowly opened my door to prevent the creak, after I exited, I left it open for Kirino. I surveyed the area before going to walk downstairs, as I did, I saw Kirino exit my room and go back into hers accordingly. _Good, she still has the presence of mind to follow my instructions_.

I crept down the hallway and saw through the door that someone had turned on the lights in the living room. _A burglar? Nah, it's probably just one of my parents. _I slowly opened the door to find my dad picking up shards of glass and pressing tissue against the wet floor.

"Dad, what happened here?" My dad turned around quickly, probably as a result of not knowing I opened the living room door. "Oh son, you're still awake? I was just going for a late-nigh bottle of beer until I dropped it." _Beer at 1 am? What the hell? _

"I couldn't really sleep so I happened to hear you drop the glass bottle, that's why I came to check what happened. Also, why are you drinking this late?" Continuing to clean up whilst listening to my question, he replied firmly. "Your mother doesn't want me to drink much in front of you all. I don't usually drink that much in the first place, it's just that I was gifted this beer by a German colleague so it'd be rude of me not to drink it."

That was just like my dad, always heeding the proper customs and rules. It was a respectful practice. but sometimes I think that it's just either plain old-fashioned or submissive. Either way, my dad has followed these sorts of rules forever so I don't expect him to change any time soon.

"Alright then, I'll leave you to your late-night drinking then, I'll go back to sleep". I closed the living room door and returned to my bed promptly. I was exhausted. _Good thing dad distracted us, I'm pretty sure Kirino was hellbent on squeezing the truth out of me, but why was she so desperate? _

As I tried to think of reasons why Kirino would want to know who I liked so desperately, an impossible answer popped into my head. I quickly shooed the unlikely reason away from my circle of thoughts.

_That'd be ideal, but sadly, life isn't so considerate._

* * *

**Kirino: **

The events that happened in my brother's room appeared vividly in my dreams. The night where I was fascinated by his torso, and today when he was playing around with me. _Why is he the only thing showing up in my thoughts? And what the hell is that damn noise!?_

I woke up to the loud ringing of my alarm. It was already a bad start to the day as my dreams about my idiot brother were frustrating enough, but this damn alarm clock is making my mood even worse! I scuffled out of my bed to slam my fist on the top button, shutting it up instantly.

"Good morning" I announced as I entered the living room and walked towards the dining table. My mother replied with a hearty 'good morning' while my dad acknowledged my greeting by looking up at me, drinking coffee as usual. I scanned the room to see that my brother hasn't come down yet. This is common though, I'm usually the first sibling to begin eating breakfast first.

After I finished eating, I said goodbye to my parents as I prepared to leave for school. Whilst putting on my shoes, I heard someone walk down the stairs behind me. Turning around to see who it was, I see my brother looking back at me with a creepy smile. "Morning Kirino"

I refused to answer him. I'm still somewhat annoyed by my stupid dreams and his refusal to answer my all-important question last night, therefore I decided to not acknowledge his greeting. I opened the door and shut it behind me, leaving my brother waiting for a reply.

Sometimes I think about my so-called 'tsundere' attitude as Kuroneko describes it. I hate it when people call me a tsundere because the ones I read about in my manga or encounter in eroge are so damn unreasonable. They get angry because of nothing and it irritates the hell out of me. I'm certain I don't get moody that quickly for stupid reasons so I blatantly disagree with anyone calling me that, especially when implying I act that way when I lash out at my brother because he really is an idiot sometimes.

I enter my classroom and sit down in my desk still thinking about why tsunderes annoy the crap out of me but also why I'm such a sucker for the 'dere' part. My thoughts are shattered though by the sensation of my chest being groped from behind. I turn around to see Kanako gleefully smiling whilst fondling my breasts.

"Kanako! Stop that!" I quickly grab her hands and detach them from my body. She moved from behind me to in front of me whilst giggling. "That's what you get for daydreaming and ignoring me, a wholehearted fondle!". I sighed, that was such a Kanako thing to do.

After scolding Kanako about what would happen if she did that again, I saw Ayase walk into the classroom, her long, black hair fluttering as her evident beauty radiated across the classroom. She turned to look at us and smiled. "Why are you fighting?"

As Kanako filled her on what happened, I observed her as she talked. _Nothing seems different about her, it's like nothing happened. I'd imagine she'd act a bit differently after turning down my brother and me abruptly hanging up on her, __but she seems fine_.

"Hey, Ayase, can we talk... after class ends?". Ayase and Kanako turned around after hearing my question. The latter was confused as to why I asked for a sudden talk without her, but Ayase smiled and accepted.

After class ended, Ayase and I walked outside towards the bench and water fountain, away from the masses of people at the sporting areas. "Sorry for instantly hanging up, by the way, I don't know what came over me." I looked apologetically at her to show my regret. In truth, I really did not know what was ailing me that day, and why I continue to feel so strongly about the situation.

"It's ok Kirino, don't be sorry, I mean… I'm sure anyone would be shocked if they were suddenly called and knowing that their sibling was confessed to out of the blue". Ayase offered her hand to me and she smiled endearingly. "Lets put this behind us, it's not a big deal anyway".

I smiled back at shook her hand firmly before we both laughed. We had unintentionally acted like businessmen over such a girly problem. Despite making up over our short issue, I suddenly remembered to ask her something, something crucial that my brother refused to tell me.

"Say Ayase, did my brother tell you who exactly he liked?". I looked on as Ayase looked down at the ground upon hearing my question. Her shoes were scrunching up the leaves below her, a symbol that she was thinking hard about my question.

"No, he didn't tell me, but I do have a good idea of who it could be". _What? A good idea? That's the best answer I'll probably get!_

"Then can you tel-"

Before I could finish my sentence, Ayase cut me off. "No. This is something you have to figure out by yourself… dummy". She stuck her tongue out at me playfully before starting to walk back to the school building entrance, her hands were tightly intertwined as she walked in front of me.

_Great. No one is going to tell me who he likes? Ahh, I want to know! I'm not gonna waste my time stalking him but the suspense is killing me! Is it still Kuroneko? Is it that plain glasses girl? Or is it… _As the third thought of my brother's potential target entered my mind, I quickly shook it off.

_No way, that's impossible. Besides… why did I feel happy when I considered that option? I don't like him, do I? Is that what this feeling is? The feeling that frustrates me so much? The feeling that never leaves my heart, is that what it is? Love? Have I been falling in love with my brother this whole time? Is that why I got so happy? Happy that the one he likes… is me? _

I quickly jumped forward and stomped on some leaves, creating soft, crackling noises upon my landing. _There's no way I'm in love with that idiot, and there's no way he's love with me… __right? _I _s_queezed my head a bit to punish my brain for making me think of these frustrating thoughts. Ayase turned around and to her amusement, witnessed my stupidity.

"Kirino, um… are you ok?". Embarrassed that I was acting like a kid, I tapped my cheeks with my hands and gave Ayase a convincing thumbs up and smile. After we both laughed my antics off, we made our way down the school hallway. As I stared out the hall's windows while walking back to class, I pondered about the previous conclusion of my feelings.

_Is that it? Do I really like my brother? Is that why I got mad when Ayase confessed to him? Is that why I touched his body that night? I can't believe it… that idiot. Out of all the people in the world...I'm in love with that idiot._

* * *

**AN: **The coronavirus and the delays it brings really sucks doesn't it? The whole staying at home part does have some positives though, and that is precisely why I have extra time to write up this chapter for Serene Days! I hope you all stay safe, healthy, and tuned in to the following chapters of this fanfic!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of OreImo's features such as the characters, stories, rights, etc. as they are the property of their respective owners.

**Serene Days | Chapter 4: Graduation**

* * *

**Kirino:**

March is a very important month because of the many events that occur during it. Graduation, the start of sakura blossoms, and the change of weather. The transition from March into April signifies a warmer change in weather but now I feel like its actually starting to get colder.

I stuff my hands in my hoodie's kangaroo pocket to keep them warm as I speed walk down the road. Since I was wearing a skirt, I was trying to hurry back home before my legs completely froze over. As I hustled back in hope for the warm temperature of my house to embrace me, a bold idea entered my mind.

_If only I had a boyfriend here with me right now, I'd bet he'd make me feel warm as we walked down this road together. That'd be so sweet, walking hand in hand and cuddling. _This was not an uncommon scenario in the slightest, it happens all the time in eroge. Watching the female protagonist walking so happy and comfortably due to the considerate actions of the male protagonist is a very wholesome moment. It makes you want to jump into the game to experience it for yourself…

Suddenly, I imagined myself walking down the road hand in hand and cuddling against my brother, who filled into the male protagonist slot. _What the hell? Why I am thinking about walking with him all of a sudden? _I waved my arms in front of me in a shooing gesture to get rid of these embarrassing thoughts. It took me a while to realize I was acting like a fool though. _Oh great, now the people waking down the road think I'm crazy. Thanks, brother…_

I sighed as I continued to power walk down the road, still hustling in order to get back to the warmth of indoors and the coziness of hot chocolate. As I walked past the park entrance, I heard a familiar voice call for my name. "Kirino-chan! Wait up!". I turned around to notice neighbor girl scurrying out of the park entrance to meet me.

"How are you doing today? It's pretty cold isn't it?". I replied with a 'fine' as we walked down the road together, a rare sight indeed. She always acts so nice to the point where sometimes you can't help but question her sincerity. People would call me pessimistic for doing that but after what went down all those years ago I have a right to suspect her.

I have no idea why she called out to me. I thought I made it clear to her before that I wasn't really fond of her and yet somehow here we are walking together. True to my opinion of her though, I didn't say anything and neither did she. It was just an awkward stroll down the street until she finally piped up.

"Say, do you know where Kyou-chan is? As soon as class ended he instantly dashed out of the room.". _Boohoo! Are you going to cry because he didn't wait for you and walk home with you? "_No idea, he's probably freaking out about his post-graduation plans" I answered unemotionally, suppressing my spiteful thoughts within.

Yesterday after my talk with Ayase, I was looking to apologize to him for taking my anger out on him last night, but he seemed way too busy. He was running around the house printing stuff and typing a heck-ton on his new computer. It honestly piqued my curiosity as he hasn't talked to me about his future plans yet. One thing I do know though is that I should probably expect him to move out of the house soon.

It hasn't really bothered me until recently to be honest. I knew that there was a high chance that my brother would move out, but the reality hasn't really hit me until now. My dad would definitely want my brother to start living alone so that he can learn to sustain himself and be more like an adult.

The time I spent reconciling with my brother and hanging out with him more has gone by so quickly. I still fondly remember not knowing what to do with my ever-growing stash of eroge like it was yesterday. From that point on, my life changed significantly as the days of each month became more fun as they passed on. Fun wasn't the only thing filling up the rapidly passing days though, my brother was a large part of it too.

He got more and more involved in my life after I consulted him about my problem. At first, I didn't notice the subtle changes, but all of a sudden, it reached a point where my day would become weird if I didn't interact with my brother. It didn't matter if it was about eroge, school, or other things, I found myself talking to him every day.

I clutched the part of my hoodie where my heart was. _Maybe this is where my feelings for him come from... all the times he has helped me, all the times we had fun, all the time we argued but then forgave each other… was that the catalyst? Were all these memories of him trying to be a big part of my life again __the trigger__? _I clutched my heart harder. It wasn't hurting though, it was warm. It was making me feel all toasty inside, something I was yearning for the whole walk.

After reminiscing on the happy memories I've spent with my brother over the past year or two, I was brought back to reality by neighbor girl, who I forgot was still walking beside me. "Kirino-chan, this is where we split ways, I gotta go get something at the electronics store, cya!". I watched as she waved to me and disappeared into the store. _What was the point of walking with me? Ah whatever, __I probably wouldn't care about her reasoning anyway__. _

I announced my arrival to the house as I took off my shoes and entered the kitchen, looking for some hot chocolate to warm me up further. As I got closer to the desk though, there was a mug of hot chocolate and marshmallows floating in it already there, greeting me.

_Is this my brother's? Why would he leave it here? _I took the mug with me as I knocked on my brother's door. I heard him say "come in" from inside and in response, I entered his room to see him still in his school uniform, typing away on his royal blue computer like there was no tomorrow.

_He's still in his uniform? How much of he is in a rush to still not change out of his school clothes? _"Is this your hot chocolate?". I raised the mug to his field of vision as he swiveled his chair to meet me. "Oh, I made it for you. I thought you'd be cold like me so I made some for the both of us." I looked over at his desk to see that the indeed made a mug for himself too, although it was already empty.

_He made this for me? Wow, that's unlike him, he was actually considerate for once_. Suddenly realizing that this was one of the reasons why I liked him, I froze up. _What do I say? This isn't the time to be embarrassed Kirino! Just thank him!_

"T-thank you, aniki". I felt my face warming up, I must've been blushing. My brother also looked surprised at my sudden meekness, not knowing what to say either. I took the silence as an opportunity to dash out of his room and into mine. I placed the mug on my desk as I sat on my chair and buried my face into my knees. _Jeez, I'm getting too embarrassed. Aniki, you're too good… stop making my heart flutter so much._

I turned my attention to the hot chocolate that he prepared out of solicitude for me. I gently grasped the handle where his hand must've touched as well and took a sip of the mug's contents. _It's warm. Really warm. _I turned around to look at the wall separating my room from my brother's. I walked over and placed the palm of my hand on the barrier.

_How warm would I feel if you were to hug me... aniki?_

* * *

**Kyousuke: **

What's up with Kirino today? I can't tell if she liked or hated the fact that I made her some hot chocolate. _I was freezing as I ran back home, so did I do right in fixing her up a mug as well? Ah whatever, I have more pressing things to worry about_.

After my freaking out on Sunday, I realized that I had many things to do. Last night I talked to my parents about a lot of things regarding what I wanted to do after graduation. "About time" my dad said after I told him my plans. He was probably waiting for me to present him with my ideas for a while now…

Thanks to my rather great grades on the university exams, it looks like I'll be heading to Chiba University, one of the best in the prefecture. It was a good thing I sent out my application alongside my CV during college counseling last month. But one thing I forgot about was the university fees and accommodation!

Surprisingly though, it turns out that the place I stayed in during my one-month study frenzy was coincidentally close to the university campus, well, at least for my course as the building where my classes will take place is close by. As a result of this convenience, my dad and I were easily able to tie down a new contract so that after I graduate, I should be able to move in right away.

Despite that out of the way, I still had to type up a lot of details for my dad about the university finances. I might have procrastinated a tad too much but, I was able to spend a lot of quality time with Kirino and the others so I don't really regret my actions.

Speaking of Kirino though, I should probably tell her that I'm going to leave soon. When she left for America without me knowing, it felt like a gaping hole opened in my heart, therefore, it would be some twisted payback if I were to do the same. _Don't worry Kyousuke, don't doubt yourself, this is a normal brotherly thing to do. _

I knocked on my sister's door firmly to which she opened normally. _Ok, peaceful start so far_. "Are you busy Kirino, I'd like to talk". She shook her head as she sat back on her chair again and gestured for me to begin speaking. It was hard to tell her mood right now… it doesn't seem like she's angry, however, you can't say she's exactly in a good mood either. It's like she's trying to subdue something…

"So basically, after graduation, I'm moving out. But don't worry! I'm moving back to the same flat I stayed at when I was studying for exams so, by any chance, you feel like you want to visit me after I leave, you know where I'm at." By this stage, I'm surprised she hasn't said anything tsundere like 'what makes you think I'm going to visit you' or something like that. All she's done so far was nod.

"Which university are you going to? Chiba U?"_. _I nodded in response to her question. "It's close to the flat, that's why I decided to move back there." Kirino nodded in silence as a reply. It was a very weird feeling, she was not being talkative at all so far, instead, she was looking at me with some sort of intent. _Did I miss something? _

"You've got nothing to say Kirino? Are you even going to miss me?" I smiled jokingly as I turned around to head out of her room. As I grabbed the doorknob though, I felt the sensation of a hug from behind. Kirino's arms wrapped my stomach as she pressed her torso on my back. "Don't stay stuff like that… of course I'm going to miss you… baka".

_There it is again! The rare meek Kirino. I guess she must've become mellow after I prepared her some hot chocolate… how cute!_ As I attempted to turn around to pat her on the head, she kept me in place with her arms, gripping my school uniform. "Don't move… I'm cold so let me stay like this."

_Oh great, guess I'm a standing teddy bear now. _For several minutes, me and Kirino stood just like this. She continued to hug me and bury her face into my back as I stood still, not moving in fear of angering her and ruining this rather nice moment. _I'll miss being in this house Kirino, I'll miss this a lot_.

After a while, Kirino finally let go. As I turned around to face her she put her arms behind her back and was twitching around while avoiding eye-contact. "Don't worry Kirino, I'll miss you too, so be sure to come to visit ok? Besides, I still have until Monday before the move so, we can still hang out a lot until then!".

"Promise?". It was a very cute and soft question. It's like what a cute grade-schooler would say after their big brother said he'll buy them ice-cream. "I promise, in-fact, let me just finish up my finance report for dad and then we can talk about where we want to go right after".

With that in mind, I looked to exit Kirino's room for the second time, however, before I could leave she tugged on my uniform. "Don't invite anyone else, ok?". _What? Now, this is starting to get into uncharted territory… _"These are going to be the last activities we're doing while we're still sharing the same house so… let it be just me and you this time".

I was surprised by her sudden request. Surely it would be a tad inconsiderate to ignore the rest of the gang? "Don't you want to hang out with Kuroneko, Naoki, and Saori too? I mean, it's not like I'll be seeing them as often as I am now". I looked down at Kirino to try and figure out her true intentions but she's still avoiding eye-contact.

After staring at her face though, I noticed the evident coat of blush as she continued to look the other way. _I can't tell what's she's thinking. Why only us two… unless? _Before I could come to a conclusion, Kirino suddenly looked up and me and pouted. "Why don't you understand? When I say I want it to be just us two then it'll be just us two!"

_I do understand but… ah, screw it! I am not going to argue with a pouting Kirino, she's too cute to be angry at. Looks like the rest of the otaku gang will have to wait a bit longer_. "Fine, fine, it'll only be us two, so please let me go finish my report so dad won't kill me for procrastinating!". After finally giving in to her requests she rewarded me with a beaming smile.

"I'll look forward to it then, aniki". _Damn these sudden 'anikis' are catching me off-guard. I better control my surprise when she does rare stuff like this. _With a consensus being reached between us I finally exited her room and got back on working out my fees and costs.

From then on it was smooth sailing. Before dinner, I was able to present my research and calculations to my parents and we were able to agree on the prices of my university, other essentials, and disposable income. It was regular pre-graduation talk, nothing special.

At first, I was thinking of getting a part-time job so I can somehow be less of a burden to my parents but my dad suggested I should see how I do at academics first before considering helping out financially as what good would a part-time stint be if I'm flunking my course?.

As we were chatting though, I noticed Kirino peeking at me, listening attentively from the corner of the room. I wonder if she's either listening because she has to go through this in a few years or because of something else. It's hard to determine what she's thinking nowadays because of her unusual meekness arising out of nowhere. It was strange, yet slightly familiar because it reminded me of how she used to be when she was younger.

After having a hearty dinner, I looked up the stairs to see Kirino waiting with her arms crossed. I nodded as I walked up the stairs, expecting to follow her into her room but instead, she entered mine. _Yup, definitely can't figure out what she's thinking. I'm not sure how I feel about that. It's kinda irritating but somehow, I feel like I shouldn't question it…_

After she sat on my chair without asking, I chose to sit on the bed. "So Kirino, do you want to do these activities on the weekdays or weekend? Personally I…" before I could finish my sentence though, Kirino interrupted "While you were busy doing your finance stuff, I already came up with ideas! I thought long and hard about it, but I came to a decision!".

_She sure sounds eager_. "What is it?" I asked with genuine curiosity, deciding to ignore her interrupting me. "On Saturday morning we're going to the amusement park!". _The amusement park huh? That actually sounds like a decent idea, usually, you'd go during summer but if you go now it might still be a bit crowded but it'll still be rather cold and not the slimy hot associated with all bad amusement park experiences. _"That actually sounds like a good idea Kirino, I'm in." I smiled in agreement, for once I guess the two of us didn't have any problems with our activity planning unlike our usual unprepared bouts to Akihabara…

"All right then! It's settled!". Kirino flashed me a precious smile before moving on to the topic of the eroge game she gave for me to play five days ago. Unfortunately for me, I forgot to progress on with the routes and flags because I was busy sorting out my post-graduation stuff in a hurry so I spent the night playing games while being lectured at the same time.

_In not that long, these sorts of things won't be happening much anymore… damn, that'll take some time getting used to._

* * *

**Kirino:**

Thankfully, today was less cold so I was able to walk out of school with Ayase and Kanako. _Wow, I can't believe this will be the second last time we walk out of this school… time does fly by quite quickly, it seems my brother was right to freak out. _

In truth, I was planning to look for a nice outfit to wear to the amusement park after school today, after all, these feelings inside me will definitely order me to look good in front of him. The urge to make him notice me and compliment me is too strong to resist. This again is a common trope you find in anime but, I can't help but think how hard he'll make my heart flutter. _If things like making hot chocolate for me already make me so embarrassed, how hard will I fall for him if he tells me I look cute? Ahhh, I can't wait!_

I really wanted to say bye to the group now so I can go breeze through all the stores and imagine myself being praised by my brother in the many outfits I'll try on but… I don't think I should leave Ayase and Kirino now, especially since our time in middle school is almost over. I mean, these two are 99% going to the same high school as me but, this is one of those experiences you have to savor.

"Say, Ayase, Kanako, do you want to go look around the clothing stores? I mean, this is our second-last time walking out of middle school together so we should try to do something!". Ayase and Kanako looked at me in surprise, but for the latter, her expression turned into something mischievous. "Kirino, is this for a boy?". I suddenly blew up inside. _Right on the money! Crap, I think I'm blushing, I can't let them know about my plans on Saturday! _

"No! It's not! What are you talking about? I just want to hang out with you all before we graduate you know? Middle school memories? That kind of stuff." I looked over to see Ayase nod in agreement, also surprised that Kanako suspected me of finding new clothes to impress a boy.

"Kanako, don't be ridiculous. Kirino just wants to replenish her wardrobe, in-fact, I think I should probably look for some new clothes too, after all, we're going to be high-schoolers soon, better spice up the fashion!". After Ayase got Kanako on board, the three of us went flying across the stores. It was great fun. Despite this after-school endeavor originally being dedicated to my brother, it ended up being yet another fun and chaotic after-school activity with the girls.

Despite the fun chaos we had, I couldn't seem to find a suitable outfit until we reached the last store. There was a cute, white, over-the-shoulder top with a light green leaf pattern blended into the white of the lower section of the outfit. In conjunction with the frill and the two shoulder straps, it really made for a date-like outfit. Ayase seemed to notice my fascination at the clothing and tapped my shoulder. "I think it'll look great on you Kirino, you should get it!" I smiled at her as thanks and took it to the cashier.

"Looks like you had fun today" my brother said as he greeted me as I entered the house. He probably said that judging from the bag I was holding. He looked the opposite of fun though, his hair was all over the place and he was still in his uniform which was heavily wrinkled.

"What happened to you?". I was intrigued by the state of his clothes, it looked like he got into a fight. "Nothing much, I went to my last gaming club meet so the kouhais got a bit rowdy with us third years. What I mean by rowdy is that we basically got too competitive and some tables were thrown…". _Tables thrown? What kind of gaming session did they have? _

"Either way Kirino, I forgot to tell you but you should join that club, I think it fits you since you won't be the only eroge lover"_. __From what my brother told me, you make games and play a bunch in that club. It sounds like what I basically do at home instead I'll actually have a lot of friends to talk about eroge with! There's that Sena person my brother talked about before and if I get Naoki-kun to join, we can have a large-scale eroge gaming session! _

"Sounds interesting, I guess I can check it out". I smiled at my brother, letting him know I was excited to join his high school. Although it's slightly a bummer that he won't be a student there anymore when I enroll, the experiences he had there that he has told me about made me excited to be a high school student.

My brother suddenly patted my head. "Since I was bang average in every way possible, my high school experience was kind of normal, but with your great grades, athleticism, and a fair amount of people you know joining you, I'm sure your high school experience will be a blast! You'll meet a lot of new people and do a lot of new things I'm sure!". I beamed back at him. _You sure do know how to get me hyped up even though the academics side is surely going to be more difficult…_

As I went to sleep looking forward to my date with my brother on Saturday and what will be a 'blast' of a high school experience next month, I dreamed about all the things I did as a middle school student, especially the latter parts. All that fun I had with the otakus, my friends from middle school, and of course, my brother, it was all so fun, however, my high school life is going to be even more enjoyable! As a rather overly dramatic way to end my last rest as a middle schooler, I pumped my fist into the air and went to sleep.

The next morning brought about winds that scattered the sakura petals of change as I quickly got up and ate breakfast, excited to go to middle school for the last time. Despite me still thinking of making last-ditch memories as a middle-schooler yesterday, today I'm suddenly pumped to finally begin my high school experience.

As I prepared to dash out of the house, I saw my brother unenthusiastically walk down the stairs with his high school uniform on for the last time. I quickly smiled at him and stuck out my tongue before sprinting out of the house to meet up with my friends and walk into middle school for the last time.

The school day went by quickly. The teachers gave their farewells to the third years and the students were talking about nothing but graduation and plans for the spring break. "Are your parents coming to watch the graduation ceremony? Only my sister is coming…". Kanako was very monotone despite having a family member coming to attend. "Kanako you should be happy that at least your sister is coming, look at Kirino, her parents are busy and onii-san is occupied with his own graduation so don't complain".

After the normal chatting, we all moved to the auditorium and got seated at the front. Ayase and Kanako looked rather nervous next to me, but the excitement from yesterday is still making me shake in anticipation and excitement. After a while, it was finally my turn to take my certificate. As I did, I noticed my mom waving and taking photos of me from the back of the auditorium as I took my certificate. _I thought she was busy but... s__he came! She actually came! _

After the principal spoke his final words to us graduates, Ayase, Kanako, and I held hands together as we walked out of this school for the last time. "Kirino! Over here!". My attention was drawn by a familiar voice as I turned around to see Naoki-kun running down the road to me. He was huffing and puffing out of tiredness but smiling nonetheless. I also noticed the certificate in his hand and the lack of buttons on his uniform. _Seems like he's somewhat popular, that's unexpected considering how quiet he is..._

"Congratulations Kirino-san! I suddenly remembered what middle school you were going to so I wanted to congratulate you on graduating!". Naoki was glowing as he talked to me until he realized Ayase and Kanako staring daggers at him. I heard them whisper something about him being my boy so I quickly clenched my fist to tell them to stop. Surprised by the sudden leers from the girls, Naoki-kun quickly stopped talking. "A-ah you three must've been talking right? I-i'm so sorry for interrupting your conversation". Before he could turn tails and run into the horizon, I grabbed him by the shoulder. "It's fine, besides, these two are my good friends and your potential classmates!".

Taking advantage of the situation, I introduced Naoki-kun to Ayase and Kanako and vice-versa. Naturally, he froze up a bit and returned to his highly quiet demeanor much to Kanako's amusement. Unfortunately for Naoki-kun, Kanako adores picking on seemingly weak guys so watching her asking him all sorts of stuff while Ayase tried to act as the sensible mother and stop Kanako's harassment. The scene I was witnessing was like it came from an anime so I couldn't help but smile. _So these people are the ones I'll be spending the next three high school years with huh? _

As I observed the humorous scene before me, I saw my mom walk up beside me. "Ah Kirino, are you going to come with me to pick up your brother? I asked him if he wanted me to come to his graduation since I got the day off but he said I should come to yours". _That idiot… high school graduation is more important, but… damn, how does he know sending mom to watch my graduation makes me so happy? How is he making me falling for him more and more effortlessly!?_

"Well Ayase, Naoki-kun, Kanako, I guess I'll see you over the break then!". I waved to my friends as I followed my mother to my brother's school, and in April, my new high school.

After waiting at the entrance for a few minutes, I saw my brother walk out with neighbor girl. I also watched my brother do some sort of weird pose with his arms after exiting the school. Thanks to that rather cringe move though, I noticed that his second button was still intact so without a word, I went over to snatch it. "Whoa, Kirino calm down there!" he said in a shocked expression. I grabbed the button, put it in my bag, and smiled. "Congrats aniki, you're old now!". He scratched the back of his head with a sigh as he smiled wearily back. "I'm well aware, thanks."

Following my snatch, neighbor girl went for the third button to replicate what I did. She glared at me for a good few seconds before waving it in front of my brother's face as a taunt. Following a quick conversation with my brother and mother, she said her goodbyes and left, leaving the Kousaka family, excluding dad, walking down the road back home.

"Congratulations you two. Kyousuke, you'll be truly moving up into the world of adults now, university is no easy deal; and for you Kirino, high school is one of the most important experiences in your life so you better cherish it!". Our mother patted us on the back as she went on about the cake she prepared for us at home.

As my dad came back home a bit early into the evening, we enjoyed the cake as a testament to me and my brother's graduation. My brother enjoyed eating the cake despite looking like he wanted to cry while my dad was smiling, proud that his two children were moving on to the next chapter of their lives. It was truly a wonderful moment, marking a huge turning point in our lives.

_I wonder what my life will be like from now on. I only hope that my high school life is filled with enjoyment, success, and good times spent with the people I love._

* * *

**AN: **This chapter is a bit long this time (in comparison to the previous chapters) as I wanted to include all of this important content as we move on along the story. I have a lot of things planned for future chapters so I hope you are looking forward to reading the next chapters as much as I am looking forward to writing them. Please leave a review if you have the time as I enjoy reading what you think about this fanfic so far, therefore, whether it be suggestions, questions, or comments, please do leave a review! Thanks for reading this important chapter of Serene Days, I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you look forward to Chapter 5!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of OreImo's features such as the characters, stories, rights, etc. as they are the property of their respective owners.

**Serene Days | Chapter 5: I Won't Run Away Anymore!**

* * *

**Kyousuke:**

It still felt like a dream. I'm not sure if I'm the only one having this sort of crisis, but I still am in awe that I am no longer a high school student. _Was my time as one really that important? Well, a lot of good things happened but…_ It was a very difficult feeling to describe, however, there was no point in mulling over about it.

As I sluggishly pulled myself out of my bed, a quick glance at my calendar reminded me that today was the 'date' with Kirino. It became one after she had strongly insisted that the trip to the amusement park today be only between the two of us. To be fair, it makes sense that she will miss me a lot seeing that we've become more closer nowadays, however, I still personally thought that amusement parks would be more fun with more people. _Maybe she has a surprise in store? _

After changing into a simple navy polo and black slacks, I went to go to my desk to go organize the work I'd do after I came back from the date until it hit me. _What am I doing? I don't have any work to organize anymore… no work…_

A smile crept up my face. It has been a long time since I didn't have to worry about work after coming back from activities with the gang or my friends from school. It'll be only around a few weeks or so until this period of jubilance is replaced by university work, but I guess there's no point in worrying about that now either.

I opened my door with the intent to go relax on the couch until I saw Kirino down the hallway who coincidentally, opened the door at the same time as me. Using the opportunity, I examined her outfit. _Wow, she looks really different today, how can I put it? She looks… more mature. _

I must've been inspecting her choice of clothing for too long as she glared at me in a puzzled manner. "Hello? You there? Stop staring and get walking, we're going to be late". I quickly glanced over at my watch to check the time: 9:31 AM.

Before I could say anything in response, Kirino grabbed my arm and yanked me down the stairs as she rushed over to put her shoes on. "Mother! We're off!" she announced. I put on my shoes in a lightning-fast manner to match her haste as we practically bolted out of the house and power walked to the train station.

As I walked beside my sister, I couldn't help but notice how good she looked. As seen from earlier, her over-the-shoulder top gave out a mature feel but also contrasted nicely with the vibrant red color of her skirt. It was a clothing combination that screamed 'look at me'. Usually, I wouldn't notice these sorts of things, especially since I don't pay much attention to my own choice of clothing, but thanks to all those eroge games I've played, I learned that the characters in-game seem to really care about the protagonist noticing and complimenting their clothes. _I wonder if Kirino wants me to comment on her clothes? I can't tell if she'll either smile or call me a creep… ah well, here goes._

"By the way Kirino, that's a nice, new look you got there. You really do look like a high school student now." I tried to flash my nicest brotherly smile to keep the vibe normal. Thankfully, I wasn't labeled a creep, instead, Kirino just looked the other way and blushed. After a few seconds, she finally managed to say a quiet 'thank you'. _Right on the money, looks like those eroge games are useful huh…_

The amusement park wasn't that far away by train, and in this day and time, the train wasn't that crowded which allowed for us two to have a pleasant trip as the stations passed by. Kirino remained silent as she sat beside me on the train seats. I couldn't tell if she was deep in thought or still shy from the compliment I gave earlier. _Was it *that* uncharacteristic of me? _

After continued silence, we finally reached the entrance of the amusement park, prompting Kirino to beam brightly at the sights of all the attractions, stands, and people. It was a really playful atmosphere, very fitting for our recently graduated status. Before I could walk or say anything, Kirino grabbed my arm yet again and ran forward taking me with her. "Let's go! There's no time to waste!". She was smiling ever so happily at me as if she were waiting for this moment for a long time. It was such a bright grin that I couldn't help but smile back in the same fashion.

Our running brought us to the ticket booth to get our lanyards with our priority passes on them. It would be unwise not to get them as they may be expensive, but the spring holiday is usually the window for a lot of visitors to come and as a result, make the wait times incredibly long. I gazed over at the first attraction closest to the ticket booth. _Supreme Loop? Holy crap, look at that track… I don't remember this monstrosity of an attraction being here… _

The first time I came to this amusement park was when I was still in primary school, of course, it was a vivid experience as I munched on snacks and ran around the park with my friends. Back then the amusement park was a place where you'd go to meet your friends first and have fun on attractions as a secondary thing. Nowadays, it's flipped and so these sorts of crazy rides were born.

"Let's ride this one! It looks exciting!". To my horror, Kirino pointed at the Supreme Loop attraction. I gulped and questioned if I would come out of the ride alive. I was pretty nervous, but I had promised myself that today I'd do what Kirino wants since she was pretty serious on these last days I spent with her before I moved out. "Fine… let's go". With false enthusiasm, I followed Kirino as we entered the priority line.

After only a few seconds, we made it to the area where we start to fill the coaster seats. I was about to go sit into the middle row until Kirino yanked me by the arm. "What are you doing? We're sitting in front! I don't want some random people to block the great view alright?". A look of dismay befell my face. _Oh, I am so dying on this ride…_

Luckily for me, there was a pocket in the seat for barf bags so now all I need to worry about is not acting like an utter coward. Kirino sitting beside me was the complete opposite of me. She was literally bouncing as she waited for the start of the ride. _How hyper do you have to be in order to be so excited about this deadly __attraction__? Is this just a girl thing or what?_

With the sound of gears turning in conjunction with a loud 'thud', the roller coaster car started moving forward at a slow pace. I looked ahead to see what the tracks were like but all I saw was a small straight track which later goes straight up in a 90-degree incline.

The car then started its upward descent as we slowly moved further and further from the ground. Kirino's hair was fluttering behind her head like a unicorn's mane due to the angle we were sitting at. She was still beaming as well much to my dismay.

After what seemed like forever, we finally reached the top of the vertical increase. I made the mistake by leaning over to see what was next and dreadfully, it was a straight drop followed by a bunch of loops and curves. _Oh, you got to be kidding me… _

"Kirino how are you not nervous?" I asked frantically as I turned my head to her in desperation, keen on learning her secret as to why she wasn't scared. "It'll be fine, you don't do this all the time so you gotta let go of your fears and enjoy it! Besides, you're here with me so I'll be fine!". Kirino continued to smile as the car got ever so closer to the edge. S_o I'm the reason? How am I going to calm myself now? That only works for her dammit! _

With that thought, the car finally dropped and Kirino and I were blasted down the track at ferocious speeds. The air punched us in the face as the car moved down the tracks like a lightning bolt before we began our first loop. My stomach felt heavily pressured as the sky and ground flipped. Everything I was looking at was moving upside-down or left and right, it was terrifying.

After the first loop, the car approached nearer to the arch. Taking advantage of the brief break of sorts, I looked over at Kirino to see she was totally fine as the car began its unnatural turn. _If Kirino isn't scared, I'm not scared.__ I got to be the bigger man here. __I'm the 'onii-chan' after all__._

The car felt like it was going to fall sideways as it blasted through the arch, despite that though, I barely managed to remain stoic as we continued to pass through the remaining loops and curves at rapid paces. I didn't really remember much of final moments of the ride as it went by so quickly with loops inside loops and all that insane stuff but somehow, I had managed not to look like a scaredy-cat by the end of it.

As I exited the cars with Kirino, I noticed my legs became spaghetti as I was barely able to stand upright. I must've also looked pale as well because Kirino was looking at me pitifully as I struggled to walk behind her to the next attraction. "Brother, was the rollercoaster that draining? Do you need a break?"

I nodded my head as we found a bench to sit on. I took a large gulp of water from the bottle I brought along and sat as I tried to solidify my legs again. Kirino, on the other hand, looked perfectly fine, in fact, I bet she could ride the rollercoaster again and still be alright. Luckily for me though, that attraction was the harshest one in this amusement park so whatever other ones we take it won't be this bad.

After the adrenaline and nervousness from the ride disappeared, I stood up and gestured to Kirino that I'm fine and that we can keep going. As we were walking through the next attraction though, the crowd kept increasing and increasing as the time neared noon. It was so crowded that you can easily bump into people since the place we were going to next was near the dining areas.

Suddenly, I felt a tug on my sleeve again as Kirino looked up at me with puppy eyes, highlighting her sparkling blue irises. "Can we hold hands? It's getting kind of crowded so…". Despite being a bit haughty when we exited the rollercoaster minutes ago, she returned to a meek demeanor again with another request.

It wasn't unreasonable though, and despite some reluctance, I decided that after all, holding hands with your little sister in crowded public places is indeed a brotherly thing to do. "Sure, no need to be shy to ask, it'll be troublesome if we were separated after all."

After hearing my response, she smiled brightly and took my hand as we walked carefully to the next attraction: The Haunted House. From the outside, it looked like a broken-down mansion painted stone blue to emphasize the spooky atmosphere. I looked over at Kirino to see if her enthusiasm would match her previous levels before we entered the rollercoaster car but this time it was the exact opposite.

I felt her hand tremble slightly in mine as we walked closer to the entrance. "You know Kirino, we don't have to go inside if you're feeling uncomfortable or creeped out". In response, she grasped my hand tightly as she pouted at me. "I'm not scared! We're going in! After all, I promised myself that we'd go on all the attractions!". As per her request, we proceeded inside the haunted mansion.

* * *

**Kirino:**

_I acted so brave in front of him but I'm really a scaredy-cat aren't I? The rollercoaster was super fun because the quickness of it is what makes it fun instead of scary but this… you have to experience it slowly and I hate that. You're more susceptible to getting spooked if you go through slowly instead of quickly… _

I tried to stop my slight trembling as I waited in the priority line with my brother, still grasping his hand. It was really warm and soft unlike what I expected of a boy's hand. It helped calm me down a bit though because his big hand can completely cover mine and that sense of envelopment is as consoling as hugging a teddy bear. _If we were a couple… we would be able to this every day. That'd be so nice…_

After only a few minutes, it was finally our turn to get into the cars. It was similar to the rollercoaster cars except for its only two people at a time, additionally, the tracks on the floor of the mansion are straightforward and slow, so it shouldn't be anything to my brother. Usually, with these sorts of activities, my brother isn't one to be creeped out, he's more susceptible to the high-motion ones I guess…

We then sat on the car and after a few seconds, it slowly moved along in accordance with the eerie atmosphere and the low sinister music playing from the hidden speakers. It was like something from a nightmare, exploring a creepy mansion with barely any light. I looked right to examine how my brother was faring so far and as expected, he wasn't fazed at all as our car started to pass some fake cobwebs and skulls.

Those small things don't scare me, but what does scare me is the overall atmosphere these minor details create. It was just plain spooky, and since I wasn't holding my brother's comforting hand anymore, I started to break out in a nervous sweat.

Suddenly in my peripheral vision, a door creaked open with a large, dark figure on the other side. It was a sudden movement out of stillness so of course, I overacted by jolting up and grabbing my brother's arm. He turned to look over at what I was shocked by but he didn't notice it as the door closed quickly after it opened.

"Kirino are you really that bad at this stuff?" he asked, mimicking my earlier condescending tone. "Shut up baka, just let me hold you like this…". He didn't say a word as I continued to cling onto his arm, not taking any chances in case sudden things like that happened again. Back when we just started to become close again, he'd start to complain about me being too clingy or unreasonable, but now, he seems to be more patient with me as now he's just smiling to himself. _When did he become so manly?_

As we turned a few corners of the mansion, I slowly started to get used to the scary pranks the attractions had in store. There were some skulls hanging from the ceiling, moving skeletons in the windows, a painting that started directly at you. All was going well until suddenly the hallway became pitch black.

I tightened my grip on my brother's arm as our car continued into the unknown murkiness. After several seconds without being able to see anything, a sudden projection of a ghost lady jump-scared us out nowhere with the loud screaming noises blasting from the speakers.

I screamed in surprise and flailed onto my brother as the car took a quick descent down the mansion as we passed by many fake cobwebs and skulls with flashing eyes. I continued to stick to my brother as the car moved quickly down the now steep tracks. I wasn't scared by the sudden fast movement of the car but of the multiple projections that were flashed at our faces as we descended down the mansion.

At the end of the steep decrease though, the car finally moved along a flat surface at a slow pace again as the lights came back on. Shortly after we neared the exit my brother tried to squirm free of me. "Uh Kirino, we're at the end now so you can let go now I think…". Shocked that I didn't realize I was still clinging heavily on my brother in front of the park employees, I quickly let go as we exited the mansion.

"Boy that was fun, I didn't see the jump scare coming haha". My brother was scratching the back of his head and laughing in a relaxed manner as he always does. _How was he not shocked by that projection It was so sudden and loud! Is it just me that's scared or is it just a boy thing? _

After questioning my brother's mental durability, I noticed that he offered his hand to me. "C'mon, this will help, right? Let's go find a place to sit down and eat before we carry on". _Wow, he's taking the initiative for once in his life… _Following his suggestion, I put my hand on his as we walked around the plaza section of the amusement park in search of a good restaurant to eat at.

After we sat down and ordered some food, a sudden voice from the crowd caught my attention. "It's onii-chan! I found onii-chan!". A little girl with short black hair ran up to my brother and smiled at him. At first, I thought she looked familiar until my brother said: "Oh if it isn't Tamaki, are your sisters here?". _Sisters? Who does he know who has sisters? Wait, isn't she-_

My suspicions were confirmed when I saw Ruri run in our direction with her other sister Hinata in tow. Usually, she'd be wearing the same old goth outfit, but this time her clothes of choice consisted of a white sundress and a large straw hat. "Tamaki, don't go running like that, you might get separated from us."

Ruri then looked up at us, just noticing who her sister ran towards to. "Oh so that's why she ran off, I didn't even see you two, what brings you two to this amusement park today Kyousuke-senpai, Kirino?

"Nothing much, Kirino and I haven't been here in a while and since I'll be busier once I start going to university, I thought we might as well come when I'm still free, how about you?".

"Tamaki really wanted to come here for the live-action Meruru skit they're having soon so I decided to come with Hinata to check out the rides in the meantime". _Meruru skit? I didn't hear about this! _ Me and my brother then looked around the plaza to see there indeed were some people wearing Meruru t-shirts and accessories, heck even Tamaki was wearing a Meruru hoodie. _How did I not know about this? _

"A Meruru skit huh? Was that the underlying reason why you wanted to come here with only me today Kirino?"

"I didn't know at all! I just wanted to invite you to a typical date at the amusement park, that's all!". I tried to make my plea to my brother so that he didn't think I dragged him along to yet another anime-related event, but it seems what I said intrigued Ruri as she was muttering to herself quietly.

"Well, are you going to go to the Meruru thing then Kirino?" my brother asked me gently in an effort to curb my excitement down as perhaps I was a bit too loud in defending myself. "Well, we don't have to go if you don't want to, but… if you're ok with it then I'd like to go".

To my surprise, my brother was fine with it. At first, I thought that I've taken my brother along to Akihabara and other anime-related places too many times against his will but it looks like he doesn't seem to mind anymore. _You know you can just say 'no' right, stop making me so happy all the time… baka_

After saying goodbye to Ruri's two younger siblings, I caught Kuroneko looking at my brother from behind her sisters in the corner of my eye. I couldn't tell if it's just the lighting or if she was blushing, but I guess there's no point in worrying about it, after all, I have Meruru to look forward to!

* * *

**Kyousuke:**

Kirino and I sat on the chairs at the plaza together as we waited for the Meruru show. By reading the event program, I could tell it was just simply a chance for little kids to interact with Meruru in real life, however, I didn't plan on bursting the bubble for Kirino who despite isn't a little kid anymore, is still enamored with seeing cosplays of Meruru and other characters.

After the show began, it was exactly as I expected it to be. Someone in a big Meruru costume rather than cosplay showed up and started reading out some voice lines alongside a prop of the comet side-kick. I looked over to my right to see if Kirino would be acting like the excited little kids in front, but to my surprise, she wasn't as captivated by the performance.

"What's up Kirino? Do you not like it?". I continued to look at her to see if I could figure her out. She wasn't pouting, but she wasn't smiling gleefully like she usually does with all things Meruru. "It's good but… it's nothing like what you'd see at the conventions in Akihabara…". _Well, of course, this is just an amusement park version, it'd be moderate at best… _

Despite the show being mediocre, we managed to sit and watch the whole thing rather than go to a different attraction. Perhaps we were just lazy to get out of the seats… "I'm going to go to the bathroom real quick, so wait here ok!". I then watched as Kirino scurried into the restroom area.

As I closed my eyes and brainstormed what attraction we should go to next. I felt someone tap on my shoulder. I turned out to see who it was, it was none other than Kuroneko. "Hello senpai, how did you like the Meruru show? Was it as boring as I thought it'd be?".

"Somewhat, it's ok though, I don't mind watching it if Kirino wanted to". Upon hearing what I said, Kuroneko gave me a quizzical look as if she were trying to figure me out for something. "Say Kyousuke-senpai, why don't we go ride that attraction over there, I have something I want to talk to you about".

"Can't we do it here, Kirino is wai-" before I could finish my sentence, Kuroneko caught hold of my arm and started walking towards the ride. In the end, I reluctantly followed her. I quickly pulled up my phone to text Kirino to wait at the same place so that she didn't kill me for disappearing on her without telling.

As I got nearer to the cave-like attraction, it turns out Kuroneko brought me to the 'River of Love'. "Why do you want to ride this one? Isn't this one for couples?" Kuroneko did not answer my question as she kept on pulling me to the priority line. It was only after we lined up that she started talking.

"The rides are quiet and peaceful, so I thought it would be a good atmosphere to talk, that's all". _What does she want to talk about that requires this sort of atmosphere… wait, it can't be *that* can it? _After a minute or so it was finally our turn as we climbed into the swan-shaped boat and slowly drifted into the cave.

After sitting for a few seconds in awkward silence, Kuroneko shifted closer to my right shoulder to break the deadlock. "Kyousuke, I haven't really bothered you about it since then but, do you still know how I… feel about you?". _I knew it! I didn't think my prediction would come true… _

The words didn't come out of my mouth. I tried to speak, but nothing came out and I couldn't tell why. Kuroneko seemed to be slightly embarrassed for asking such a question as I saw her continue to look the other way in the direction of the calm waters.

"You know, our soul contract still hasn't been broken right? That's… that's because I still love you Kyousuke". Kuroneko then planted a hand on my shoulder and looked directly into my eyes. Her blue-gray eyes were uncharacteristically glistening with emotion like the fake stalagmites above us as she waited for my reaction.

_She still loves me… of course, how could I not know. Despite being her boyfriend back then, I still couldn't tell after she moved away if she still liked me or valued her friendship with Kirino more… it was both all this time. I'm such an idiot, aren't I? I've left her waiting all this time._

I gently directed her hand away from my shoulder and stared at her back with resolve. "Kuroneko, I'm sorry. I had forgotten about your true feelings since the incident at the hot springs like a fool. I don't think I have a right to be your boyfriend anymore, especially since I've made light of your feelings like that".

I looked away, scared to see how Kuroneko is reacting to what I'm saying. "Additionally, I don't think I can reciprocate-". Before I could finish my sentence, Kuroneko put her finger on my lips as a gesture for me to stop talking.

"It's ok, I understand. No matter who you like more, or what course of action you take, the contract between our souls will never waver, it'll be there forever so don't say anymore." I then looked down at her to notice she was barely containing herself. Tears were forming in her eyes above an evident blush, but despite that though, she was still firm and intent on telling me how she felt. _I'm such a bad person, looking away like a coward while Kuroneko is barely holding herself together for me…_

Feeling sorry for her, I gave Kuroneko a big hug. She initially squirmed in surprise, but then let it sink in. "Kuroneko, you knew all along didn't you, about how I felt". She then pulled herself away from my embrace and gave me a warm smile. "Of course, I've been watching you all this time after all…"

"Thanks, Kuroneko, I know what I have to do now" but in response, she just shook her head as if to say 'there's no need to thank me'. Our swan boat suddenly got slower and slower and then the light at the end of the tunnel signified that the attraction has finished. As I got out of the boat, I turned back to the boat to look at Kuroneko before she gestured for me to go on with her hands.

I felt bad for leaving her like that, considering how much I've hurt her feelings all this time, but she's given me the boost I needed. _My eyes have been opened now, I shouldn't think of these feelings lightly anymore, or else, I'm just going to end up hurting everyone around me. I'm not going to run away anymore! I'm going to do it, I have to tell Kirino my true feelings._

I ran all the way from the River of Love to the fountain at the plaza where I told Kirino to wait for me. It was the fastest I've sprinted in a while and it goes to show how out of shape because I was as I started wheezing once I got to the fountain. "What were you doing to be so out of breath?". Kirino looked at me with a slightly irritated look, but it was justified, after all, I've made her wait quite a while.

"Nothing, just a friend that was here needed some help, don't mind it though, let's continue going around the rides". I stuck out my hand to her as an invitation. She didn't take it instantly, but after looking the other way and blushing for a bit, she finally grabbed it and so our journey across the amusement park continued.

For the next few hours, we went on every single ride in the amusement park. The remaining rollercoasters, the spinning teacup seats, the museum of unusual artifacts, and so on. I couldn't help but smile as we went through them because even though I made her annoyed while waiting for me, she was back to her happy self, for example, laughing as one of the flowers in the museum sprayed me with water.

After having a lot of fun, we realized it was starting to get dark, thankfully though, we managed to experience every single attraction in the amusement park, all but one. "Let's go on the Ferris wheel! Quickly, before the sun sets!". Like always, Kirino grabbed my arm and sprinted to the waiting line.

As I ran behind her, I reminisced about how many times I've been dragged along like this. _Jeez, this is so nostalgic. To think that I'll be too busy in the future to go on trips like these… perhaps Kirino was right, it would be wise to use all my free time effectively before I start university, otherwise, I'll have painful regrets._

After a short waiting time, we got onto the Ferris wheel's passenger cars and sat down on the seats opposite from each other. After we got high up enough, we were treated to the beautiful sight of the sky during the golden hour. The sun was scintillating like a bar of gold and the sky around it was a magnificent display of blue and orange strokes. The scenery was just like the ones you'd see in a famous piece of art, it was truly an inspiring sight.

But prettier than the scenery was the person in front of me who was looking at it. Her blond-orange hair matched well with the color of the sky as it streaked down her shoulder. Her ocean eyes glistened with awe with hints of the sun's gold reflecting on it. My little sister was truly beautiful, and I've never thought otherwise.

As the passenger car got higher and higher, I continued to observe Kirino until she looked back at me and realized I was gazing at her. "W-what are you looking at, baka!". A blush appeared on her face as she struggled to cope with my smile. I couldn't help it, I was already grinning like an idiot as I watched her sitting there all embarrassed and quiet.

"You. I'm looking at you". Usually, I would be too embarrassed to be completely honest like this, but for some reason, I'm very calm and tranquil, like nothing can go wrong anymore. It was an odd feeling, but it was just the one I need to tell Kirino what I've been feeling for a long time.

As Kirino was looking away in shyness, I took advantage of the situation. The two of us sitting in a Ferris wheel together during golden hour literally screams romance, so I might as well say it before the sun sets. I didn't mean for it to be so perfect but, I'm not complaining.

"Kirino". With one mention of her name in a firm manner, she looked at me, still red as a rose. "You know, throughout all this time I've spent with you, I've never realized how much I've cherished it until now. At first, I thought that it was just me becoming a brotherly figure to you again and that being close as siblings was all I wanted after you stopped talking to me, but that soon changed and now, I can't help but look at you in a different light because… I love you, in *that* way".

For a few seconds, Kirino stared at me with a surprised reaction, but it later changed as she started laughing her head off much to my bewilderment. "W-what! It took all my courage to say that and out of all the options you laugh?". As Kirino continued to giggle, my confident facade diminished and soon I found myself blushing as well.

"I can't help it, you were so sappy hahaha!". After a few more laughs Kirino finally stopped and wiped tears from her eyes. "I'm so happy… after all, I thought I was the one that was going to confess." _Eh?_

"W-wait you mean…" I suddenly realized the massive implication of those words. The pressure was extreme as if I was carrying the entire planet on my back. It was like for every millisecond before she could finish her sentence, I was being bombarded with anvils.

"Yeah… I love you too Kyousuke". Kirino looked at me directly with the same confidence I had when I confessed, her blue eyes radiated her sparkling resolve. After hearing those six words, I finally gave out and slumped on my seat, emotionally and physically drained.

Noticing my exhaustion, Kirino walked over to sit beside me and leaned against my shoulder. "You did good today aniki. Thanks for making today one of the best days of my life". Sitting in this passenger car with Kirino leaning against my shoulder had such a romantic feel to it. I kinda expected her to offer her lap to me as a pillow, but her resting her head on my shoulder isn't bad either. The moment was so wholesome, these sorts of times were something I yearned for so long.

"I had fun too". I patted her head softly much to her amusement and as a response, she smiled in approval of the head pats. "So, we can do this… more often right?". Kirino's meek question in conjunction with her cute puppy eyes was super effective, it melted my heart instantly as, despite her maturity, she still found ways to appeal to my 'moe' side.

"Of course, since you're my... girlfriend now... right?". It felt so unreal saying that. I always knew I had these feelings inside me, but I kept running away from them, scared that this great life we've had so far would fall apart due to my selfishness. I was wrong though, I was a coward for thinking I was the only one that felt this way. If I confronted the situation with my true feelings, I should've known that the only result would be in my favor because even if Kirino didn't feel the same way I did, I'd still smile in the end knowing that I didn't lie to myself any further.

After a while, the Ferris wheel ride ended, and as we exited, we noticed that the golden hour was now replaced by a young night sky. "We should probably go home, mom has probably started preparing dinner for us now". Having done literally everything possible at the amusement park, we walked back home hand-in-hand.

Not in the normal way, but the lover's way.

* * *

**AN:** Sorry for the long wait! Initially, I planned for the contents of this chapter to be separated into two chapters, however, seeing that I went against my weekly promise, I decided to write it all up into one long chapter so that you wouldn't have to wait for the big moment! I hope you enjoyed this special chapter as it really sets up the content I have planned for future chapters as I have been yearning to write about this budding romance for a while now. I hope you continue to stay tuned to Serene Days and I'll try to get back on track and continue to release the chapters within a week or less. As always, feel free to leave a review about what you liked or what you think I can improve on as whether it be something I did good or something I can fix, it makes my day when someone comments :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of OreImo's features such as the characters, stories, rights, etc. as they are the property of their respective owners.

**Serene Days | Chapter 6: Boyfriend & Girlfriend**

* * *

**Kirino:**

I remember just a few days ago, I longed for someone special to hold my hand as we walked down the streets. I was looking for a sense of warmth from the person I'd hold hands with, not just someone with good looks but someone who I could entrust my life to and feel safe, or something like that…

The Kirino from a year ago would harshly disagree with what I'm doing right now because I'm holding the hand of someone who has always been special but also, the hand of someone who I've berated, insulted, and ignored for a long time. I know it's all in the past but the sense of guilt has remained somewhat. I was so unreasonable back then, thinking that through all the abuse I hurled at my brother, I could get him to realize that I wanted the old him back, the old him I adored.

As it turns out though, that person was always there, and had I relied on him to help me instead of separating from him during those times, he'd probably still be there for me when it mattered the most.

"What's up Kirino? You look lost in thought". My brother leaned his face closer to mine as he tried to figure me out. I felt a sense of embarrassment overcome my body as he came really close to me. I was still in awe over how he, the easily embarrassed brother, managed to confess before me which made me unable to react to his antics without being all jittery since the feeling of being someone's girlfriend was all so… new.

"Nothing! It's just… are you sure you're ok with me? I'm your little sister after all…". I looked into his eyes with uncertainty. That moment where we both confessed our mutual feelings for each other on the Ferris wheel was a moment of ecstasy, however, now that we're brought down back to Earth, I realized that there are a lot of problems that siblings in a romantic relationship must face.

I then imagined all the terrible things that could happen if anyone were to find out. My dad would probably beat the living hell out my brother, we would be shunned by society, things would go downhill quickly… Despite this though, I still managed to confess and got the result I wanted, however, I'm not sure if our relationship can last long...

After thinking of more pessimistic thoughts about the future, I suddenly felt my brother tighten his grip around my hand as he fixed a more serious stare at me to call my attention. "Of course I'm ok with you, I thought we established that on the Ferris wheel".

"That's not what I mea-"

"Let me guess, you're worried about how us being siblings can affect our relationship in the future right?". _What? Was he always this good at reading others? Was he just pretending to be dense all th__is__ time? _"Of course I've thought about that, before confessing I made sure that I wouldn't regret confessing to you, despite all of the negative consequences. In the end, all of that pessimism didn't matter because no matter what happens, I'd still want to be with you forever so… I went ahead and said it".

He smiled at me as he scratched the back of his head. Normally things like these are discussed with caution and deep consideration but, the way he said it was so relaxed… like if anything were to happen he'd be able to deal with it. _Baka… there you go again, saying such sweet words…_

"It's true… I am worried about people finding out but, my decision still won't change if that ultimately happens. I'd still choose to be with you rather than caring about how others feel, it's just that… I want us to be together while still being able to go about our normal lives as usual".

Upon finishing my sentence, my brother then stopped walking and turned to face me. He lowered his head to mine and placed his hands on my shoulder. "Don't worry, I want to help make your life be the best it can be so, now that I've been given the chance to be by your side in this sort of way, I won't mess it up".

He stared at me with a look of serious compassion, a look that made me unable to respond immediately out of pure admiration. I always knew that my brother could do great things if he put his mind to it but seeing him so determined for my sake really captivated me, it really made me realize how much I loved him.

He then stood up and held my hand gently. "Let's just enjoy the nice weather and walk for now, we can talk about this later at home". After my right hand connected with his left, I used my other arm to cling to his and rested my head on his shoulder.

"K-Kirino?". Despite being so cool and confident a mere seconds ago, his expression changed to a surprised one as I continued to cling to his left arm tightly. I've seen in an eroge once that this was the most romantic way to walk as a couple, and it felt really warm to be this close, especially after his reassurance.

"It's your fault! What you said made me want to do this so…". Eventually, my brother gave in questioning my actions and cooled off his embarrassment. It was a nice and peaceful walk that allowed us to cherish our newfound feelings as we remained linked through our hands.

Eventually, once we got near our house, we let go of each other to act like normal so that no one that knew we were siblings would grow suspicious. In truth, I never wanted to let go at all but, I had to steel my resolve so that I could continue having these 'couple moments' in the future.

After being welcomed home by our parents, we were able to enjoy a great dinner including shrimp tempura, another one of my favorites. All the attractions and walking around the amusement parks really made me hungry so before I knew it, I began to eat very quickly which prompted a giggle from my mother and a sigh from my brother.

A while after dinner, I entered the bath and soaked my tired body into the warm embrace of the hot water. The soothing liquid caressed my body and relaxed my muscles. Baths after track practice were always the best since the heat relaxes your worked muscles nicely, it was very easy to sleep due to the comfort.

This time though, I was lost in the warmth of the bath and my circling thoughts. A bit earlier before I entered the bath, my brother asked me to enter his room tonight so we can talk about what we're going to do from here on. Usually, in the eroge I've played, the characters that start dating just go with the flow and don't really have a long talk, however, it would probably be wise for us since we have extra conditions after all...

As I continued to let my mind wander around in the comfortable atmosphere of the bathroom, I heard the first door to the bathroom open. I quickly peeked through the translucent second door to see the shadow of my brother at the sink area, coming ever so closely to the handle of the second door.

"Wait! I'm using the bath right now!" I yelled. The shadow I saw through the door suddenly jolted up in surprise and left the bathroom. _Jeez, did he forget I was in the bath? _I then reclined my body back into the water. _I wouldn't have minded if you had just asked… baka._

* * *

**Kyousuke: **

_That was a close call! I had no idea she was in the bath. Had I gone it I probably would've been pelted by lotion bottles… wait a second, if we're dating… maybe… wait no no no! Scratch that thought! _I continued to have conflicting ideas in my head as I wriggled around on my bed, waiting for Kirino to enter for our talk.

In a sense, it was always Kirino that took the initiative to enter my room but I think this is one of the few times I've actually invited her in myself. With both our parents now asleep, this would be the ideal time to discuss our relationship going forward. I wasn't overly worried but, it would be good to get some ground rules set first.

Shortly after, Kirino entered my room, closing the door behind her quietly. Instead of taking the seat at my desk, she sat beside me on the bed this time. I noticed she was sitting unusually straight and her hands were firmly placed on her thighs. _What's with the stiff pose? This isn't a business interview… _

In my attempt to get her to relax, I placed the palm of my hand gently on her upper back. Her body shuddered in reaction to the sudden contact but then I started patting her back as a signal for her to loosen up. "Why are you so nervous, just lay down".

Out of all the options I've predicted that she'd choose, she did one of the least expected ones and laid her head on my lap. I looked down to see she was looking right back at me with her ocean blue puppy eyes, seemingly asking for something.

Guessing it was affection, I simply started to pat and stroke the top of her head softly, making sure not to ruin her favored hair. I must've got what she wanted right as she smiled brightly. She then dug her face into my stomach and rubbed her cheek against it.

"Kirino! That tickles, what are you doing? You're acting like a cat haha". Kirino continued to rub the side her face on my stomach playfully as I continued to stroke her head. I tried to direct her face to look at me again with my other free hand but she ended up licking it.

"Jeez, what's gone into you?". I couldn't help but smile, my girlfriend was being very cute right now. Suddenly, I had the urge to poke her cheek, which seemed very soft judging from its plump appearance and the sensation against my stomach.

Feeling a bit mischievous myself, I went ahead and poked it to call her attention. Her cheek was as soft as I thought and given the number of lotions and other accessories she uses, I could tell that she took care of her face well, expected of a model I guess.

She then rotated her head to face mine again, prepared to listen to what I have to say. "So, seeing that we're siblings and all, one thing to make sure of is no PDA, unless we're alone or in a place where no one knows us our family or friends, alright?". Seeing as we don't want incestuous rumors going around, this rule is a given, and Kirino seems to agree as well as she nodded in response.

"Well, the only other thing I wanted to talk about is to just not tell anyone and be careful in general which sounds clear enough". Kirino then nodded again in response and sat up off my lap and spoke. "Was that it? I thought this would be more serious".

"Nah, the two things I mentioned are the only important conditions to worry about, everything else can come naturally like in a normal relationship, however, now that you're here, I want to spend some quality time with you instead of rather than worry about what we need to look out for..."

Suddenly, Kirino quickly shifted closer to me and yanked my head down on her lap. She then started to stroke my head, replicating how I did it to her moments before. It felt really nice and relaxing, but then again, it was slightly embarrassing due to the fact that I'm still not used to us being this close to her…

Kirino continued to stroke my hair, perhaps wanting me to start acting like cat-like she did, but instead, I just closed my eyes and relaxed on her soft thighs. It was fine for a while but as more time passed, I slowly got more embarrassed by the sudden intimacy so I quickly got up and rested my head on the pillow instead.

I opened my eyes to see Kirino pouting at me, seemingly unhappy that I preferred my pillow as a better headrest than her lap. In response, she grabbed one of my feet and started to tickle it aggressively. I quickly covered my mouth to muffle my exclamations as I was really weak against being tickled like this.

Kirino was relentless as she continued to softly stroke each of her fingers on the sole of my feet. I couldn't really reach her with my free arm while laying down so I tried to get up and cease the tickling. Unfortunately, Kirino saw that coming and as a response, she rested her forearm on my leg to make it much harder and painful for me to get up.

It was soon starting to get unbearable as my foot was going numb and my laughing was getting louder and louder. Any more of this might make our parents wake up so with a sudden burst of energy, I overcame the pressure on my leg and got up. I tried to stand up to regain my composure but the numbness of my foot caused me to lose my balance and so I ended up throwing myself onto Kirino.

Before my forehead could crash into hers, I stopped myself by placing my hands on both sides of her head. Luckily, I managed not to land on her with any part of my body as my knees were also on both sides of hers as well. Despite not hurting her, I quickly realized that this pose was actually dangerous, in another way…

Upon realizing, I saw Kirino's shocked face turn to an embarrassed one as she looked the other way with a massive blush. Using my arms, I pushed my self up straight so that I wasn't so close to her like before. "Sorry about that Kirino, my bad". While thinking about what I could do to make it up to her, she suddenly grabbed one of my hands and looked back at me, still blushing heavily.

"No, it's alright, I was just caught out… that's all". She then continued to look at me while utilizing the puppy eyes tactic again. This time though, I couldn't tell what she wanted but it must be another one of her 'tests'. Seeing as her previous request was for me to stroke her head, I'm assuming she just wants me to be affectionate with her which by the way, is extremely adorable.

Not knowing what to do in this sort of position, I found myself just staring at her face. She was pretty as always, even without make-up, but that wasn't what really captivates me, as that would be her eyes. In a room enveloped in darkness, her light blue irises sparkled brightly with emotion. It was like a gemstone or a kaleidoscope that you can't take eyes off of.

After waiting long enough, Kirino sat up and whispered something in my ear, something that shook me to the very core. "Kyousuke… I want you to… kiss me". I made sure to look at her to see if she was joking around or not, however, the glistening in her eyes did not falter one bit as she continued to stare right back at me.

I started to break out in a sweat as I nervously contemplated the kiss. I paid attention to her lips which were glimmering thanks to the moonlight emerging from a gap in the curtains. Her cute and embarrassed acts from earlier really made me want to kiss her but for some reason, I can't bring myself to do it.

While my mind was tearing open from deciding between kissing her or not, Kirino suddenly began to snicker softly. "You should look at your face onii-chan, it was a joke". Kirino then smiled at me mischievously before getting off my bed and standing up, prepared to leave my room. Before she could place her hand on the handle though, I quickly got up and grabbed her hand to stop her.

She turned around to look at me, but it was her mistake as the instant she did so, I placed both of my hands on her cheeks and stared at her with laser focus. She looked flustered by the sudden roughness of my actions but remained still, anticipating what I was going to do next.

"Close your eyes, Kirino". I spoke with sternness in my voice. I wasn't angry or anything but, I just wanted to play a bit with Kirino by pretending I was. She complied while beginning to blush again, unaware of what I have planned for her.

I slowly moved my face closer and closer while pretending to breathe heavily. I was trying to make an awkward but intense atmosphere for Kirino, something like a 'that wasn't a joke for me…' response from a rom-com manga. She started to breathe heavily too much to my amusement. _Have a taste of your own medicine Kirino!_

The contact from my lips finally arrived, but not in the way she would've hoped. I left her lips alone, and instead planted a soft kiss on her forehead instead. She opened her eyes to look at me with a baffled and embarrassed expression, which tells me she obviously expected something more satisfying than a kiss to the forehead.

"Y-you!". Kirino stomped towards me with a pout and pushed me down onto the bed prompting me to quickly catch myself to avoid making a loud noise against the wall. Before I could even react further, Kirino pulled me by the collar so that our faces were in very close proximity towards each other. "Baka! I said it was a joke because I thought it was too… early, I thought that we might've rushed things too quickly if it happened…".

_Wow, she really did give it some thought huh… I wouldn't have minded though, I was just unsure if that's what she really wanted… _"You say but… in truth you really wanted it right? A kiss on the lips?". I gave my best impression of how Kirino would sneer at me to her and she continued to pout even more. _She's too adorable, it's usually me getting teased so having the order reversed is quite exhilarating._

While she was busy pouting and looking the other way, I quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her in so that her back faced the wall and accordingly, I rotated my body so that I was now the one pinning Kirino to the wall, therefore, reversing the positions.

Her demeanor became more submissive instead of her earlier superiority as she looked at me with a look of surprise. I continued to grin at her as I maintained the close eye contact, but doing nothing more than that. My hand was firmly placed on the wall, near the side of her head which to my limited knowledge, is apparently a display of dominance or something that the cool guys do.

"You're so mean onii-chan, teasing me like this..."

"I can't help it, you're too cute".

With that said, we both leaned closer into each other and the contact we truly anticipated finally came. Our lips connected as I moved my left arm off the wall and onto the side of her cheek. We remained locked like this for a while before finally releasing. I closed my eyes before the contact, so when I opened them up again, the sight of Kirino blushing and breathing heavily was too much for me to handle and so I went for another kiss.

I felt her hands on the back of my neck as Kirino wrapped her arms around me, pulling me closer to her body. After letting go, I noticed that Kirino's eyes were sparkling very brightly, the brightest I've ever seen. It was reminiscent of a glistening, transparent sea during the afternoon, it was a beautiful sight.

"Was this what you wanted Kirino?". For some reason, I was able to maintain a confident demeanor despite partaking in one of the most embarrassing but also most intimate moments in my life. I thought that I'd chicken out somehow and that she'd have to take the initiative, but I guess my pride as a man didn't t let that happen…

Kirino nodded meekly before getting off my bed, attempting to leave my room again. "I should probably go back...if I stay any longer I don't think I can sleep tonight". My cheeks suddenly started to feel warm upon realizing the meaning behind those words, my mouth was probably open in shock. Kirino then grinned at me, and left, closing the door behind her quietly as she entered.

_That Kirino, even in the end after all I did, she managed to get the last laugh… Just you wait dammit! I'm the dominant one in this relationship you hear! _In the end, I couldn't fall asleep as I was too focused on trying to brainstorm how I can claim the last laugh next time.

_Never did I think I'd be brainstorming such stupid things instead of trying to sleep at 1 fricking am...girlfriends I swear._

* * *

**Kirino:**

Usually, I'd wake up early sometimes on Sunday to go have a quick jog followed by hearty morning shower, however this time, I woke up pretty late. It was probably because I spent a large portion of last night rolling around in my bed fantasizing about what I did with my brother.

The sensation of the kiss lingered for a long time as I tried to sleep. It was a first kiss to remember, not necessarily because of how it felt but, my brother, my boyfriend, was so cool. I thought he would just be a coward and be too shy to take the lead but instead, he was more confident than I thought he'd be. It was definitely unexpected.

Usually, I'd question myself for being that meek but now that my brother showed me that he could be this dominant, I'm starting to think that being the on the receiving end isn't too bad… _What love doe__s to a person huh?_

After a few more rounds of imaging how cool my boyfriend was last night, I finally changed out of my pajamas and went downstairs, looking to see if my brother already woke up. To my surprise though, only my parents were in the living room. _Is he still sleeping?_

"Ah Kirino, you've woke up pretty late today, couldn't sleep well?". I nodded in response as I rummaged the kitchen for something to eat. I ended up choosing simple eggs and rice. Tamago Gohan is a very simple breakfast, however, it's still pretty tasty so when I unusually wake up late, I have a fast but good option in case I have to leave the house imminently.

After finishing my quick breakfast and putting the bowl away, I asked my mom where my brother was as he wasn't in his room or any other place of the house I checked. "Kyousuke woke up early to go observe the moving company transport the previous resident's remaining belongings. After that, the moving company will be coming here for his stuff."

It didn't hit me until now that my brother was one day away from moving out of the house but, now that we're dating, I don't feel the same worry I've been feeling since the start of this week. I'd like to think that no matter where we are now or how far apart we are from each other, our feelings can still bind us together. If I keep my head high and remain confident in my boyfriend's love for me, I'd imagine I could do almost everything with that strength in mind.

I promptly made my way over to the apartment and walked passed the home moving workers who were currently loading a sofa into their truck. Inside my brother's room, I saw him talking to one of the home moving employees so I waited a bit at the entrance, not wanting to interrupt their probably important conversation.

I walked around the outside of my brother's room and peered a bit inside._ So this is where my brother is going to live for the next three years at least… well, it's not that bad since I've been here before but… it's definitely going to take some getting used to... _

"Kirino? What are you doing here?". I turned to see my brother had walked over to greet me. Despite the intimacy, we had last night, it looked like my brother managed to get some good sleep as he looked more refreshed than normal.

"Did you not sleep well Kirino? You have faint black rings below your eyes."

"Well… that's a certain someone's fault, isn't it? There's no way I would forget what we did so easily…". My brother scratched the back of his head and smiled, knowing full well what I was talking about. "Well, why don't you come in and sit down, I have a chair you can sit on".

I accepted my brother's offer and so I sat and watched as my brother got me a drink from the built-in kitchen counter. "Here. I got this iced chocolate from a café earlier but you can have it". I watched as my brother walked outside and continued to talk to the employees and sign contracts. Doing all of this independently and in such a calm manner made me realize how mature he's gotten. In my view, I still saw my brother as a high school student so seeing him this level-headed in what should be an unfamiliar situation for a recent graduate is rather impressive.

I took a sip of the iced chocolate while observing the room. It looked familiar but the fact that most of the belongings are gone gives it a more empty feeling than when my brother resided here, but now that he's staying here permanently, I guess that sensation will disappear in no time, especially since I plan on coming here often...

I continued drinking the iced chocolate before noticing something crucial. _Wait a second, this is... an indirect kiss isn't it? _I immediately stopped drinking the iced chocolate and looked at my brother as he started walking back in my direction, having finished signing the deal regarding the transportation of previous resident's belongings.

Perhaps I looked very flustered as when my brother came closer, he gave me a puzzled look. Embarrassed, I quickly handed him his iced chocolate back while looking the other way. _He's got to know what's up, right? _Without hesitation though, he quickly drank the remaining contents of the drink and sighed.

"Phew. They haven't even brought in my stuff yet but there was already so much to do, want to go grab lunch in advance before their truck comes back?". There was no reaction from my brother, he was completely unfazed. _This isn't like him at all... he probably hasn't realized or he really has gotten mature… or maybe... I'm just that immature to be worrying about these kinds of things..._

I nodded in response as I was still too embarrassed to say anything, nervous that I'd stutter and make myself even more flustered than I already am. _I wonder if he's just pretending to be mature... just to look cool in front of me… yup, that's probably it. That's a very Kyousuke-like thing to do…_

As I walked beside my brother, I kept on thinking about how he was able to keep up his facade despite being reasonably flustered last night. _Am I just really prone to being embarrassed? It's supposed to be the only way around dammit! _I was so engrossed in this sudden change of power that I didn't hear my brother's warnings and bumped into the boy in front of me at the apartment exit.

Before I could apologize though, the person in front of me already started to bow and apologize frantically in spite of not being in the wrong at all. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry" he kept on repeating. _T__his person sounds familiar… wait, I recognize that blond hair creeping out of his beanie… that's…!_

"Naoki-kun? What are you doing here?". Upon hearing his name, the person in front of me finally stopped bowing. It was definitely him, although this time he was less distinguishable aside from his usual meek demeanor and foreign blond hair. Last time I saw him, he was dressed in a very formal waistcoat, but this time, he was wearing a casual maroon beanie and grey hoodie.

"Oh, Kirino-san! Apologies for bumping into… ah! Sorry, I've apologized enough haven't I? Sorry about that, anyway, to answer your question... I uh, live here."

* * *

**AN: **Sorry for passing the weekly deadline once again! My schedule suddenly tightened up and I'm afraid that the days where I could push out more than one chapter under a week have passed. I thought that I could keep that going for longer but I guess it only stuck for a short while. Now that my schedule has gotten busier, I'm not sure if I can consistently release new chapters out on a weekly schedule now but I can guarantee that two weeks will be the maximum wait time for a new chapter unless a special occasion pops up which in that case, I will make it clear.

As always, feel free to leave a review as I'm really curious to see what you all think about Serene Days, so if it's something you like or something I can fix, please let me know! As an apology for getting Chapter 6 out late, here's a quick preview for Chapter 7: The first Monday of the spring break has arrived, meaning Kyousuke has officially moved out of the house. How does Kirino plan on visiting her boyfriend without being suspicious? How will sharing the same apartment with Naoki affect their relationship?

I hope you all look forward to finding out!


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of OreImo's features such as the characters, stories, rights, etc. as they are the property of their respective owners.

**Serene Days | Chapter 7: The First Day (Part 1)**

* * *

**Kyousuke: **

I never thought this scenario would happen so soon. Recently, I've noticed that time flies so quickly, unlike the time of my cold war with Kirino, which felt like an eternity. Now that I got back to being close with her and having fun with her, the times we spent went by rapidly. So rapidly that now, I'm standing in front of my house, about to leave it for good.

Even though I'm not leaving the prefecture, the mood feels so sentimental for some reason. My dad was standing stiffly in front of the door with my mom standing beside him, smiling warmly on the outside but also with a hint of sadness on the inside. _I guess it must seem sentimental for them too huh… _

I looked down to see my backpack full of my books, consoles, and other personal belongings, the only thing left from this house I have yet to bring to my new home. Everything else such as the furniture was safely transported yesterday as me and my dad watched on as the moving company transported my stuff thoroughly.

It was not a big deal though, as something more important happened yesterday. It was finding out that Kirino's potential classmate: Naoki was my apartment neighbor. He didn't live in the room directly next door, but I'll probably still be conscious of him regardless.

Initially, I didn't really think much of it but after we said our goodbyes after bumping into him yesterday, I remember Kirino being slightly distraught about it after we reached the cafe. Her reasoning for her worry was that Naoki might suspect something fishy was going on if he saw Kirino visiting me often.

Obviously, it would be a problem if he suspected me of being in a romantic relationship with Kirino because he would be right, however, I didn't think that a sibling frequently visiting her older sibling could lead people to think that we were a romantic couple straight away, therefore, it would probably be a stretch for the meek Naoki to speculate that.

After a bit of reasoning, I finally got Kirino to calm down and so, instead of going home, she stayed to watch me and dad occasionally go help adjust some of the furniture to fit my room plan. I'm sure dad didn't notice, but I felt her attentive look on me the entire time. Honestly, I'm not sure why she was paying so much attention, but I just shrugged it off. _Perhaps she was just interested in how my room was going to turn out… _

My reminiscing of yesterday's events was abruptly shattered when my dad began to speak. "Son, from now on, you'll mostly only have yourself to rely on, however, don't forget that you're always welcome back here as well if you need a break". The usual stiffness in his voice was evident as ever as my dad stood there with a stoic expression, however, there was also heartfelt compassion in his voice as well, a factor I rarely picked up on.

"Sure, thanks". With that reply, I smiled back at my family and my old house and began my walk to the train station. I'm still not sure why the atmosphere felt like I was about to leave the country for good but I guess none of us were thinking that the time I'd leave the house to live somewhere else would happen so soon. _Oh well, it'll take time taking used to but… that's just life._

As I pondered about my new home, I suddenly felt someone charge into my backpack. Startled, I turned around to see my girlfriend rubbing her red forehead. "Hehe, perhaps trying to charge into your backpack was not a good idea". I sighed, it certainly wasn't. "What are you doing Kirino?".

"I asked mom and dad if I could come with you on your first day moving in so that you don't feel lonely." I was honestly pretty touched by that statement but yet, the fact that they'd think I'd get lonely already on the first day kinda irritates me… "How nice of you, well, let's go then".

As we sat on the train, Kirino kept on telling me not to neglect the heaps of eroge she secretly stuffed in my backpack so that once she came to visit, we would be able to discuss them immediately. I was about to argue back that I probably wouldn't have the time but the intense stare in her eyes told me exactly what she expects… I had no choice, like always…

After our short walk from the train station, I opened the door to my new residence, and weirdly enough, it feels completely new despite having spent a month living here before. _It must be the new furniture and room plan, but I have to say, I feel like I'll get familiar with this layout faster than last time_.

As I hanged my jacket, I noticed Kirino's attention was drawn to the yellow beanbag next to the table. It used to be just floor pillows next to the table but I thought that a beanbag close to the TV and the table would make for a very comfortable experience. Kirino immediately sat on it and smiled brightly while admiring the coziness.

"Kirino, at least take your jacket off first, here, I'll go hang it for you." I offered my hand to her, but for some reason, she just kept still and looked at me with a mischievous smirk on her face. "Wow, the first thing you do when you bring a girl to your new home is to ask her to take her clothes off, how bold of you onii-chan". I immediately sighed and looked at her with slight awkwardness …

Instead of letting her get to me, I just simply went to sit right next to her on the beanbag and squeezed the side of my body against her. "C'mon Kirino, let's play some video games". I took out some consoles for both of us and booted up a racing game on the TV.

The two of us continued to sit on the beanbag, huddling against each other as we tried to beat each other in the racing game. I noticed that Kirino was slightly uncomfortable and sweating, just as I had hoped. Not only does this close contact embarrass her, but, it'll probably be a bit too warm for her as well since she still refused to take her jacket off. I sent a smirk of my own at her and she quickly frowned and turned her head back to the screen, fully intent on beating me.

In the end, I managed to win albeit by a close margin. Kirino was definitely feeling the heat by now and so, by the end of the game she finally gave in. She pouted at me as she reluctantly got up and hung her jacket, giving me the full comfort of the beanbag.

I smiled as I continued to relax while Kirino sat on the floor pillow on the other side of the table. "It's a great addition, isn't it? My room was definitely better than before". By saying that, I expected a reply but instead there was just silence so I looked over to see Kirino just blankly gazing around my room, like as if something was missing.

"Hey Kirino, is something the matter?"

"N-nothing, it's just that, I'm trying to imagine what it'd be like without you at the house anymore". As she said that, a look of sadness overcame her face, but it was quickly replaced by a bright smile. "It's alright though, I can just visit you whenever I'm feeling lonely". At first, I expected that Kirino would indeed be quite sad at first, and that's completely normal, a brother who've you just got closer a year ago is finally moving out but, at the midst of that sadness, I feel like she has enough optimism to get through.

"You're not the only one that's going to feel lonely y'know? So, feel free to come over". I extend my arm to pat her on the head for comfort. Kirino smiled even more brightly as I began to stroke her head. She gave me a really thankful look that surprised me with its sincerity. _Wow, so she can make that sort of face…so cute!_

As I continued to look into her ocean blue eyes, filled with affection, the silence was suddenly interrupted by a gentle knocking at my door. I quickly went up to go open it and on the other side was Naoki, carrying a box of game consoles. Kirino came to look as well to see who it was which prompted a look of small surprise on the boy's face.

"Ah, Kyousuke-san, Kirino-san, nice to see you here, I thought that perhaps Kyousuke-san might be a bit lonely on his first day here so I was thinking we could play some of my games?". _He's pretty considerate huh, that's really nice of him, although why does everyone think I'd be lonely! Do I seem like the type to get lonely easily? _

"I've actually lived here for a month a long time ago, but thanks for the consideration anyways. Why don't you come inside, we were actually playing games as well not too long ago". We then took out the many games in the box and spent the rest of the afternoon playing them. As we were playing, I noticed that Kirino and Naoki get along quite well as they were super competitive when competing against each other and laughing away when one of them lost. _Looks her high school experience won't be as sad as mine… she already almost has the same amount of friends I did and she hasn't even officially started high school…_

As the evening came and we finished the last round of the video game, Naoki bid us farewell and went back home with his box full of games and consoles. It was evident that he played those games frequently as we were absolutely destroyed by him in the mini-games. _Despite his reservedness, he's pretty aggressive in-game huh, the more you know…_

"Kirino, when do you have to go back home? Before dinner?". Kirino looked at me once, and then looked away, suddenly pouting. _What? Did I make her mad somehow? _"What's the matter? Do you want to eat dinner here instead?". She then turned her head back and nodded as her eyes gleamed with contentedness, meaning I have once again guessed what she wanted correctly.

I then called my mom to let her know that Kirino wanted to eat dinner here. For now, it probably won't be a problem if Kirino stays for dinner here for once or twice a week, after all, my mom would understand that she misses me in the first few weeks of my absence. However in truth, I want her to come over here every day, heck maybe even live here with me but, I know completely that there would be a lot of issues and suspicions if that were to happen so, I guess I'll just go with once or twice a week…

After eating some tasty delivery yakisoba, Kirino finally got ready to leave by putting her jacket on and heading for the exit. "You sure you can go by yourself? I can walk you to the station if you want" despite pausing for a few seconds while blushing, she ultimately shook her head. "Well, thanks for visiting then Kirino, I'll see you soon". I smiled warmly at her but she didn't reply, in fact, she just continued to stare at me attentively. After some awkward staring and silence, she suddenly leaned over close to my lips, slowly preparing her lips to come in contact with mine. I was surprised by the sudden attempt, but just before we could connect, she quickly pulled herself back, blasted open the door, and sprinted out. ..._Did that really just happen?_

A bit after that scene, I felt my phone buzz, and so I checked the notification which was from Kirino's text: "You forgot my goodbye kiss! So I was going to do it myself, but I couldn't bring myself to do it, it's embarrassing! You do it next time! Goodnight, love you! 3". I smiled and sighed at the same time. _She may be a high school student but, she sure does still get flustered like a middle schooler… and texts like one too. _

After that night, Kirino came to visit over for around two to three times a week throughout the spring break. I usually came back on Sundays to eat dinner with the family, and of course, I somewhat missed the hearty atmosphere, but then again, being alone also had its positives as I felt much more relaxed living by myself. The room wasn't that big either so it was convenient to get around which is a great plus since I tend to get quite lazy.

The times Kirino came over were very enjoyable as most of the time, we just played video games and watched movies like an ordinary couple. At times, I wished I could be with her for the whole night but I knew that would be pushing it a bit, therefore, I had to remind her to leave after dinner. I knew Kirino didn't want to leave as well, as every time she was about to leave, there was obvious reluctancy. After the first night, I insisted that I'd walk her to the train station, and every time she was about to leave for the platform, she would demand a 'parting gift'. I was too embarrassed to give her a goodbye kiss on the lips in that type of place so instead, I usually hugged her or gave her a kiss on the forehead before she left. If I didn't do anything affectionate before she left, I'd feel bad for her so I took on the responsibility to send her off with a smile each time.

In terms of intimacy, we didn't push it that far either. I had planned to keep it that way so our urge to see each other wouldn't be intolerable. Of course, I do sometimes have those thoughts but my responsibility as a good boyfriend and a brother has prevented me from doing anything about it. For the most parts we would just cuddle up while watching a movie, and maybe kiss from time to time so overall, I think we've managed it nicely so far...

These delightful days passed by nicely. No one had any sort of suspicion as we continued our daily lives normally, whenever we were alone or together. Despite Kirino coming over to my place quite often, she also hung out with her own friends, and it wasn't like I ignored my friends either. The spring break was a time of pure bliss which I hoped could go on forever but obviously, it can't and before I could cope with that fact, I realized that the first day of university... is tomorrow.

* * *

**Kirino: **

"Kirino! Over here!". I looked up from my phone to see Ayase and Kanako walk over to me in their brand new high school uniforms. I waved over to them and smiled. I contacted them yesterday about entering high school for the first time together so that neither of us felt nervous, therefore, we planned to meet up near the school's entrance.

I've met up with Ayase and Kanako quite a lot during the spring break, however, now that I look at them with their high school uniforms on, they seem to look so unfamiliar. I guess I still haven't come to terms with the fact that I'm in high school now, the next important chapter in my life…

I got slightly nervous last night and so I texted Kyousuke about it. To my annoyance though, he said that he wasn't nervous at all when he first went to high school and that instead, he was rather listless throughout the entrance ceremony and the whole day. _I mean, that does sound like how Kyousuke'd act back then, I wonder if he'd be still that calm when he goes to university for the first time today?_

Ayase, Kanako, and I strolled to the school's entrance while chatting about what we thought our school life was going to be like. It seemed that I was not the only one who was slightly nervous, however, at the same time, we all had some sort of underlying excitement about the experience too. After all, we've heard in middle school that high school is where a lot of the important events in life occur so aside from the standard nervousness, you can't help but feel good things might happen as well. _Despite that though, I guess my first love and all of that was before high school… well, maybe something else that's good will happen. _

The three of us finally reached the entrance of the school and after a quick glance at each other, we linked hands and stepped past the gates and went inside our high school for the first time. We all giggled as it was a throwback to how we did the exact thing when we left middle school for the last time.

Chiba Benten High School seemed to be more spacious than the middle school I attended due to the larger buildings, sports facilities, and seatings around the campus. Kyousuke did indeed say that it had the size and appearance of how you'd imagine a standard high school to be like, and he was indeed right. Not like it was a bad thing though, the normal atmosphere made it slightly more comfortable and less nervous.

After the first few looks around the campus, we attended the entrance ceremony in the gym which was also quite ordinary much to my relief. It was just the usual learning and singing of the school song and an introductory speech by the principal and the new student council president. After all of that, the most important part of the ceremony came: the assignment of classes. Paper slips were distributed by the teachers to the rows of the seated first-year students. The paper slip system was a first-year thing only as apparently, the senpais already knew their classes since the end of the last school year.

I had hoped and prayed that I would be in the same class as Kanako and Ayase, but as I looked at my paper slip, a wave of despair crashed into me as they showed their paper slip to me. It turns out I was in class 1-B while the two of them were in class 1-C. _Great! This is where it all goes downhill doesn't it!? This was the only thing I wanted from this high school, and I didn't get it! _

After the ceremony ended, I reluctantly waved goodbye to Ayase and Kanako as we walked into our separate classrooms. Even though we'll probably see each other during the recesses, lunch break, and after school, I had imagined that we'd spend our high school years together as classmates just like in middle school, but sadly, life had other plans for me…

I followed the rest of my new classmates into the classroom unwillingly and as soon as I entered, I immediately aimed for the window seat near the back of the classroom. Usually, I don't doubt my social skills, but in case anything went wrong, I'd at least not be in the center of the room. _Wait, what's with that pessimism! It'll be fine! I can make friends! I am the great Kirino after all._

I drove off into a quick daydream about how I was easily able to make friends in this class until my fantasy bubble was burst by a calling of my name. In response, I quickly turned around to see Naoki-kun staring right back at me. _I forgot! I completely forgot Naoki-kun goes to the same high school as me now!_

"Do you mind if I take this seat in front of you? I haven't really talked to anyone yet so I t-thought that'd be nice if I could sit next to someone I know". I quickly told him it was ok and suddenly, things didn't seem so bad anymore. _Well, the day might have not gone as exactly to plan but, I guess it'll be alright since there's now at least one person I know in this class._

After everyone sat down, the teacher entered. He looked surprisingly young with black hair cut in a standard bowl cut while wearing thick glasses to create an intellectual look. Judging from his face you'd think that he'd be the type of person to wear a suit and tie 24/7 but instead, the teacher went for a more casual look with just a white buttoned shirt. _Not a bad first impression I guess, thankfully the homeroom teacher isn't like those stereotypical middle-aged P.E. teachers…_

"Welcome to high school, students of class 1-B. My name is Sugiyama Ryota, you can just simply call me sensei or Sugiyama-sensei". As sensei went on about the school rules and what our first-year experience would be like, I couldn't help but notice the confidence and strength in his voice. He spoke with authority and certainty which I guess is a good trait for a teacher to have but at the same time, it'll also probably make it a bit harder to approach him…

After his housekeeping speech was over, he decided for each member of the class to do a self-introduction. _Oh great, this is the all-important first impression! I can't mess this up! _I watched attentively as each of my classmates stated their names and their passions. My class seemed to be rather diverse as there was a fair share of confident and timid people, and some in between.

I looked on as it was finally Naoki-kun's turn to introduce himself and as I thought, he stuttered quite a lot as he spoke in a quiet and reserved manner. _It looks like he's still as shy as ever, poor guy. _A bit later after Naoki-kun's turn, it was finally mine. "My name is Kousaka, Kirino! My passion is track and field, nice to meet you all!".

As I sat down, Naoki-kun slowly turned his head over to look at me with a slightly envious look on his face, it was basically saying "I wish I had the same confidence you had". We both then shifted to look at the student to my right who was next. "My name is Okada Takehiko, feel free to call me by my first name! As for my passion, I think volleyball is something I really enjoy". As he introduced himself, I couldn't help but notice everyone's eyes were attentively on him. His personality screamed 'pretty boy' and true to that, he was certainly handsome. His slightly curly brown hair and defined face really fit the aforementioned stereotype while he was also rather tall and well built, but I guess what really captivated the rest of the class was his sharp, green eyes that radiated confidence. _W__hat an interesting fellow…__ but tough luck for you! I won't be captivated! I have Kyousuke after all!_

After the rest of my classmates introduced themselves, Sugiyama-sensei moved onto the first class of the day, math, which appeared to be his specialty. _Hmm, that's not a surprise considering his looks… I guess the stereotypes do indeed prove true… _As expected, the time I spent preparing and studying for the high school subjects during the spring break paid off as I was easily able to grasp the math the teacher was talking about: algebra. At this stage, everyone in the class should already know algebra, but it was still helpful to review the basics, after all, some people probably didn't bother studying during the break and needed a recap...

Throughout the class, there was one thought that kept on occupying my mind. It wasn't the teacher or the math, it was Okada-kun. The boy that confidently proclaimed to the class to feel free to use his first name was for some reason looking at me. I was a bit surprised when I saw in the corner of my eye that his gaze was fixed on me. I couldn't really tell the look and intentions behind his eyes but it was slightly distracting. _Ahh! Stop! Your 'pretty boy' charm doesn't work on me! I have a boyfriend already!_

After a while, Okada-kun finally stopped staring at me and shifted his attention to the questions on the board. From then on, the class went by peacefully although there was one funny moment where Naoki-kun kept on breaking the silence by constantly dropping his pencil every 5 minutes. He looked really flustered as he quickly stuttered an apology every time it happened. I felt bad for him, but I couldn't help but giggle as well, even though I've only met him a few times over the spring break, I could tell that was a 'classic' Naoki-kun moment, something that'd happen many more times in the future it seems...

As I was answered one of the last practice questions on the board, the high school bell finally rang for the first time this year, meaning I could finally go over and see Ayase and Kanako at their class. I quickly organized the books and pens on my desk before beginning to walk out of the classroom but before I could though, a sudden hand grabbed me by the wrist to stop me. I turned around to see Okada-kun staring right back at me in a similar, sharp manner than before. It was a slightly confusing moment as he didn't say anything for a while, instead, he just stood there and seemed to be inspecting me.

Suddenly, in a soft but serious tone, he finally spoke. "Hey, by any chance are you-". Before he could finish his question though, a girl behind him with light magenta hair whacked him in the head with her bag, causing him to let go of my wrist so that he could catch himself before falling face-first on to a desk.

"Sorry about him! He's a bit of an airhead so he tends to do these types of things". I was a bit surprised by the sudden violence, but I then expressed my thanks to the girl and walked out of the classroom. _A childhood friend huh, maybe this class will be more interesting than I thought, but... I wonder what Okada-kun wanted to say… __ah whatever, it's probably not that important anyway._

* * *

**AN: **I hope you enjoyed this new chapter which introduced three new, exciting characters. I'm interested to see what you think of them so far and what role they can possibly play, so please do leave a review! If there's something else you like or think I can fix, please feel free to leave a review for that as well as I'm always curious to see what you think.

The next chapter will not be Chapter 8 though, instead, it will be Chapter 7.5, a short! If you're looking forward to moments of wholesome and plotless interactions between characters, the shorts are exactly that! I've been planning on having shorts included in Serene Days for a while now, so if this one goes well, expect more in the future! Content-wise, shorts will probably be only from one person's perspective and obviously, the word count will not be as much, but I hope that you still enjoy them regardless! As for the release of Chapter 8, expect it to be released within two weeks from Chapter 7.5's release date as even though I still can't guarantee weekly releases, I'll do everything in my power to make sure I don't exceed the two-week maximum. Thank you for reading Chapter 7 and I hope you look forward to more Serene Days!


	8. Short 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of OreImo's features such as the characters, stories, rights, etc. as they are the property of their respective owners.

**AN: **This short takes place during the spring break.

**Serene Days | Chapter 7.5: Just The Usual ~****Couple Things~**

* * *

**Kyousuke:**

The rain was pouring down heavily onto the roof of the apartment, clattering against the old and worn tiles as I waited impatiently. I questioned my patience as I continued to tap my fingers on the table to the beat of my favorite song. I usually considered myself patient because, with queues or friends, I could usually wait a long while and not be irritated, but in this case, I'm getting more and more nervous and unsettled the more time passes by…

My attention was suddenly whisked away when the sound of two loud knocks on my door temporarily muted the clattering of the tiles outside. Noticing the sounds immediately, I frantically scrambled over the 'living room' area of my room to go open the door.

"Kirino quickly come in! Here I got a towel ready". I grabbed a towel I had prepared in advance from the clothes rack and covered my girlfriend's head with it. As she took off her rain jacket and shoes, I gently dried off the back of her flowing hair which was glistening more than ever thanks to the raindrops embedded in it.

By the time I was done drying the back of her hair, she grabbed the towel and began to dry the front of her head herself. "Thanks, Kyousuke, it was really pouring out there…"

"If the rain was so heavy, you didn't have to come you know? It would be bad if you caught a cold or worse…"

With that remark, I turned to see that Kirino began to pout at me. I quickly replayed what I had said in my mind and realized my mistake. She had been wanting to come the entire time this week, but I had her waiting because I was heavily occupied with my university's matching work.

As Kirino continued to pout and dry her hair, I sneaked behind her and covered her face and eyes with another towel. Before she could react, I moved in and gave her a big hug. I expected some sort of flailing at first, but instead, Kirino just let her body relax as her arms dangled to the side, showing no intention of fighting the sudden hug.

After several seconds, I let go and took the towel off her face. As I predicted, my hug had effectively ended her pout and replaced it with a warm, bright smile. I couldn't help but smile back in response as I also missed Kirino dearly during that long bout of university work, and now that she's finally here, I'm going to spoil her beyond oblivion.

Most of the food I've eaten while I was living alone was instant ramen and other microwavable products from nearby convenience stores; however, whenever Kirino came over, she had me promise her that I'd make 'actual food' instead of taking the easy way out. Thanks to the promise though, my cooking skills have gotten somewhat better, and if it weren't for my laziness, I'd probably continue to cook for myself when I'm alone as well.

I went over to the kitchen to uncover the two plates of food I had prepared and brought them over to the table. The unique smell of stir-fried ramen graced the room as I placed the two plates in front of our seats. In my opinion, stir-fried ramen makes an easy, but good dinner. Not only does everyone like ramen, but there's also enough vegetables and protein to go around thus making a nice, healthy balance.

As we began to eat, I looked over to see Kirino beaming as she continued to stuff her face with noodles and flank steak. It brought a large smile to my face because the first time she ate my food, her reaction was the complete opposite. After that horrendous event, she got up and forced me to practice cooking with her. Despite my improvement though, I'm sure that Kirino is still miles ahead of me in terms of cooking ability, after all, she learned directly from mom.

After we finished, Kirino offered to put the plates away and wash them as I started to boot up the games I prepared. "Wait Kyousuke! Let's not play games today, I have a better solution!". I watched as she hurried over to her bag to pull a CD case out.

"Ayase recommended this movie to me yesterday at the modeling agency, she said that it's a good romance show!". _A romance show huh, I didn't take Ayase to be the type to watch those kinds of movies…_ As Kirino booted up the movie, I laid back and relaxed on my beanbag to situate myself into the most optimal position for watching movies.

As the movie was starting, Kirino laid down on the beanbag beside me. There wasn't a lot of space on the beanbag and as a result, we were huddled together closely like a pack of sardines. Trying to make the best of the situation, I wrapped my left arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer so that this way, it was more like we were cuddling rather than being packed together. I looked over to see Kirino blushing slightly from the sudden intimacy.

In response, Kirino rested her head on my torso as the opening credits of the movie finally passed. However, due to the both of us focusing on getting ourselves comfortable while cuddling, we failed to notice the many warnings in the movie's opening credits…

As the movie went on, it started to make perfect sense why Ayase would like and recommend this movie. _It was a zombie apocalypse movie god damn it! Romance my ass! There hasn't been any trace of that genre at all so far, it's just been the main characters dealing with dramatic scenarios as they try to run away from the zombies!_

The movie came off as rather boring and monotone to me, but it seems that Kirino found it somewhat scary as she was shivering a bit beside me. The lack of lights in the room probably added to her nervousness as well.

As the movie progressed, the characters finally made it into the ruins of some sort of laboratory. Now if you're as experienced of a movie watcher as I am, the trope of exploring an abandoned laboratory usually spells 'danger'. I quietly anticipated something bad to happen to the main characters as they continued to traverse the empty lab, and just as I had expected, a zombie jump scare occurred.

It was at that moment I remembered that Kirino absolutely hates jump scares. I can still vividly recall her practically jumping on me during our date at the amusement park when we went on the haunted mansion ride, and as if it was a tribute to that event, the same thing happened as Kirino quickly jolted up and flopped herself on to my body.

Kirino isn't heavy at all for her age and height, however, she was around 40kg the last time I checked, and when something more than 40kg suddenly jumps up and lands on you, that's bound to hurt… and it did. All of the air in my lungs almost left me as I took the impact of Kirino's body landing on mine.

Kirino quickly clung on to me and buried her face into my chest. Her arms wrapped around me like snakes and started to squeeze out the little air I had left. I gently stroked her head in response to try and get her to calm down and stop constricting me. It slowly worked as her anaconda-like grasp on my body started to release.

"Don't worry Kirino, I'm right here, there's no need to be scared". Kirino finally moved her face up from my chest and directed a soft, affectionate gaze towards me. Before I could react to it though, she quickly moved in and planted a kiss directly onto my lips. She was relentless in this endeavor as her tongue swirled around mine with intent. We remained like this for a while as we continued to make out on the beanbag before Kirino finally let go.

"Forget that stupid movie Kyousuke, let's do something more fun…"

"and what is that?" I replied with slight embarrassment.

Kirino slowly leaned closer to me, her chest evidently squeezing against mine. The unfamiliar, soft sensation made its presence known as Kirino got closer and closer to me. I continued to look on without moving as Kirino got a hold of my hand and started to guide it under her white blouse.

"I think you know the answer already..."

Her words were spoken so softly and yet, managed to pack such large intentions behind them. I couldn't help but continue looking on as Kirino raised my head up for another kiss. My heart was pounding like a boom box as Kirino continued to excite me by planting my hand on her stomach. It was soft yet sturdy, showing signs of exercised muscle expected of an athlete.

After Kirino finally released herself from our second kiss, I finally managed to speak after resurfacing from the sea of pleasure. "What's gotten over you today Kirino? Did you miss me that much?" I teased. To my surprise though, instead of reverting to meekness, she replied instantly.

"Yeah, I missed you so much Kyousuke, and I can't wait any longer."

I couldn't help but smile warmly at Kirino's true feelings, it's been a while since she was this honest. I then patted her head and proceeded to spoil her as we continued our intimacy, ignoring the movie playing in the background.

* * *

**AN:** I hoped you enjoyed the first short of the fanfic! Even though there will most likely be no lemons due to the Fiction rating, I want to highlight the fluff and intimacy of Kirino and Kyousuke's relationship in a wholesome way which is my primary objective behind writing most of the shorts. It'll be awesome to know if this is the sort of stuff you want in the shorts as I believe from time to time among the plot, some fluff like this is a nice way to mellow the reading experience! The shorts will most likely be 2000 words or less so if by any chance you all liked this short, expect more of similar size in the future as I have many ideas planned out, including not just only Kirino x Kyousuke ones.

Now to the bigger point of this author's note. Writing Serene Days has been a blast for me so far, and I really enjoy the process of writing the chapters with the free time I have; however, the month of May is a crucial time for me, therefore, this means my schedule will be very tight and thus my free time will be greatly reduced. Unfortunately, this means I'll have to put Serene Days on a hiatus so that I can focus on all the important things I have to do this month. Expect me to return to writing Serene Days in the second or third week of June, and hopefully, I can publish Chapter 8 in that same week as well. Thank you for the support and reviews for Serene Days thus far and I hope you look forward to when Serene Days will return!

**AN (8/7/20): **For those still patiently waiting for a new Serene Days chapter, here is some news regarding Chapter 8 and the future of this fanfic. Originally as I stated above, I planned to start working on the new chapter around the 2nd or 3rd week of June, which I have, however, what I did not account for is the amount of work I still have even after the busy month of May. This will most likely mean the end of pushing out weekly or biweekly chapters. Currently, I am going through one of the most important times in my life and thus, the amount of work I have requires my utmost attention, however, this does not mean that I no longer have time for Serene Days. I still have so many things planned for this fanfiction and I still have the eagerness to continue on with this story but my current workload for the foreseeable future means I'll have to allocate a lot of time out of writing this fanfiction to the point where I cannot guarantee monthly releases. Despite this workload, I'll still try and go for a monthly release schedule, but know that there might be some months where there will be no new chapters. Lastly, regarding the next chapter, I have worked on it somewhat so expect it to be out this month (July). Thank you for your continued support, I hope you all stay tuned for the upcoming chapter which will include more new characters and familiar faces!


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